Building Choice into Long Term Care

Attorney General Brings Those Preying Upon Senior Citizens to Justice

LANSING, Mich., Nov. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Four defendants

have pled guilty to charges of financial fraud and identity theft of

nursing home residents, Attorney General Mike Cox announced today.

Johnetta Jacobs pled guilty to one felony count of identity theft

this morning in 3rd Circuit Court in Wayne County before Judge James

Chylinski. Jacobs was accused of getting utilities turned on in the

name of a nursing home patient. The charge stemmed from an

investigation by Cox's Health Care Fraud Division. The Judge

has indicated that Jacobs will be assigned to two years probation,

community service with the alternative work force for 30 days and fines

and costs. A formal sentencing is scheduled for December 15th, 2004.

"Identity theft is one of the newest crimes in our

society, and also one of the most prolific," Cox said.

"In a society where people can often times be reduced to a

number, be it credit card, Social Security or PIN, they can just as

easily be reduced to victims. I am committed to going after these

criminals, and will not rest until Michigan is safe from this new

threat."

Last week, Angel Maria Strong, 29, of Detroit, Ronnie Demarze

Qualls, 22, also of Detroit, and Tracy Washington, 40, of Farmington

Hills, pled guilty in 3rd Circuit Court in Wayne County to felony

charges of financial transaction fraud and identity theft in connection

with a deceased nursing home resident in southeast Michigan.

Before her death, the deceased wished to thank caregivers at the

St. John Senior Community with a check. Qualls, whose sister was one of

the beneficiaries, stole the gift check. He then, along with friends

Strong and Washington, used the information to cause the unauthorized

electronic transfer of approximately $7,500 from the deceased

victim's account. The monies were transferred over a 22-day

period to pay off credit card, cable, insurance, and cell phone

accounts. Qualls and Washington both received 2 years probation and

$3,300 in restitution. Strong was sentenced to 4 months to 5 years in

prison and $3,300 in restitution.

To report Medicaid provider fraud or identity theft/patient abuse

in a resident care facility, call the Attorney General's

24-hour Hotline at 800 24-ABUSE (800-242-2873); e-mail hcf@michigan.gov

; or visit our web site at http://www.michigan.gov/ag . To report

identity theft outside a medical facility, contact the Attorney

General's Consumer Protection Division at 877 SOLVE-88

(877-765-8388).
Quelle: Michigan Attorney General