THOMASTON– A Thomaston female was charged Tuesday with unlawfully billing Medicaid for more than $600,000 for in services.

Andrea J. Prenez, 40, of Thomaston, was accused of larceny in the very first degree of defrauding a public neighborhood, criminal effort to dedicate larceny in the very first degree by defrauding a public neighborhood, identity theft in the very first degree and medical insurance scams.

Authorities stated Prenez worked under the names of Sweet Counseling Services and Thomaston Counseling Associates, using marital relationship and household treatment services. Authorities stated Prenez stopped working the state licensing assessment for the marital relationship and household treatment 3 times and was not licensed to either offer Medicaid for services.

Authorities stated beginning in June 2012, Prenez used the identity of a relative, who is licensed to expense Medicaid, for services amounting to $661,205 in claims for 84 clients to Medicaid. The relative whose name was used for the Billings was not familiar with the plan, the warrant states.

Prenez was launched on a $500,000 bond and is set up to appear in court on June 21, 2017. If found guilty, she might confront 20 years each for larceny in the very first degree by defrauding a public neighborhood, criminal effort to devote larceny in the very first degree by defrauding a public neighborhood, identity theft in the very first degree and 5 years for medical insurance scams.

JONESBORO, AR (KAIT)

A Jonesboro female implicated of billing for Medicaid services not rendered pleaded guilty Tuesday to scams.

Paula Riggs, 49, pleaded guilty to Medicaid scams, a Class C felony, in Pulaski County Circuit Court. In return, a judge sentenced her to 3 years’ probation and bought to pay $200 in restitution the Arkansas Medicaid Program and $600 in fines and court expenses in the criminal case.

Riggs likewise consented to pay a civil judgment of $36,268.76 for restitution and civil charges of $16,964.88 arising from incorrect claims she sent to the program, inning accordance with Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge.

Riggs was implicated of billing the state’s Medicaid program for services she did not offer as a speech-language pathologist with the Bay School District and billing in excess.

” Paula Riggs not just damaged the Medicaid program, but her theft threatens the income of those Arkansans who depend upon the program,” Rutledge stated.

The case was started by a recommendation from the Office of the Medicaid Inspector General.

Pointing out “a clear and instant threat” to public health and security, the Alaska Board of Dental Examiners suspended Anchorage dental professional Seth Lookhart’s license on Thursday while an examination continues into his patient care.

Online records reveal that Lookhart’s license to practice dentistry and a different license to practice intravenous sedation were both suspended that day.

License suspension has a “really high difficulty” that develops from “verifiable danger to public security,” stated Angela Birt, a primary private investigator for the Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing.

Lockhart can appeal the suspension, which is momentary pending the continuous examination, Birt stated.

The board’s examination is different from a continuous criminal examination. Lockhart deals with 17 charges of Medicaid scams and “illegal oral acts,” focused on allegations that he needlessly sedated clients to improve revenues at his oral center.

The criminal charges were submitted mid-April. Birt stated Lookhart’s license was not suspended up until Thursday because private investigators had to collect proof.

” Part of that is the balance in between public security, and the balance in between defense and due procedure rights,” Birt stated.

A few of the allegations mirror those in the criminal charging files, but some brand-new claims are laid out in the allegation submitted Thursday.

Lookhart is implicated of using intravenous sedation on a small without a parent’s approval for a cleaning, fillings, and sealants, which is not the requirement of taking care of these treatments. In another circumstance, Lookhart is implicated of pulling more teeth than licensed and supplying malfunctioning dentures to a patient. The patient went to a 2nd dental expert and went through dental surgery for bone elimination and denture fabrication, services Lookhart billed for but did not supply, the state declares.

Lookhart likewise deals with accusations of enabling unlicensed assistants who did not have a sedation authorization to administer anesthetics.

The accusations likewise say that when detectives subpoenaed patient records, the files were missing out on files. Workers, consisting of Lookhart, stated they might not access clients’ files, the allegation states.

” We didn’t see proof of complete compliance,” Birt stated of demands to collect records.