Stephanie Lynn Fleming, 43, and Helen Elizabeth Storey, 39, both of Waldorf, Maryland, and formerly of Tallahassee, Florida, are headed to federal prison for their central roles in a brazen Medicaid fraud scheme that exploited vulnerable patients and stole over a quarter-million dollars from taxpayer-funded programs. Fleming was sentenced to three years and one day in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Storey received two years and one day in prison, plus three years of supervised release. Both were ordered to pay $219,000 in restitution to the Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration (AHCA).
The sentences stem from a 3-day federal bench trial in April 2021, where both women were convicted of health care fraud conspiracy, health care fraud, and aggravated identity theft. Fleming was additionally found guilty of making false statements in connection with health care matters. The convictions mark the culmination of a relentless investigation into North Florida Mental Health (NFMH), a Tallahassee-based counseling center owned and operated by Storey, who employed Fleming as a licensed mental health counselor.
Court evidence revealed that between April 15, 2016, and December 31, 2017, Storey and Fleming submitted fraudulent claims to Florida Medicaid through NFMH, attempting to siphon more than $250,000. Fleming, despite being barred from any state Medicaid program due to a 2016 New Jersey felony conviction for Medicaid fraud, lied on her Florida provider application, claiming she had no felony convictions. Storey knowingly employed her, fully aware of the debarment, turning NFMH into a vehicle for deception.
During the trial, prosecutors detailed how Fleming and Storey used the identities of licensed therapists to bill for services Fleming illegally provided while under federal exclusion. In other cases, they fabricated claims using the names and personal information of real patients—many of them children—for services that never occurred. These were not billing errors. This was a calculated, cold operation designed to exploit a system meant to help the most at-risk.
“Convicted criminals Storey and Fleming fraudulently billed the Medicaid program, ignoring an exclusion from all federal health care programs while committing identity theft to boost their profits,” said Special Agent in Charge Omar Pérez Aybar. “They stole from this taxpayer-funded safety net program that is designed to provide health services to vulnerable patients.” The DOJ emphasized that such theft undermines public trust and drains resources from those who truly need care.
Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen prosecuted the case, which was jointly investigated by the Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General and the Florida Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. “These convictions should send a warning to others tempted to loot from federal health care programs,” Aybar added. “Our agents will investigate such bad actors and hold them accountable.”
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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