Mother Of Disabled Adult Claimed Her Daughters Performed Personal Care Work That Did Not Actually Occur
Surveillance Cameras Installed By Attorney General’s Office Uncovered Misconduct
ROCHESTER, NY - Attorney General Eric Schneiderman today announced the arraignment, guilty plea and sentencing of Patricia Power for Petit Larceny based upon criminal charges filed by his office. Power, the mother of a disabled adult from Farmington, submitted phony time sheets to Medicaid for personal care work that the daughters of Power did not perform for their sister
“This defendant – through greed – exploited a program that permitted a disabled person to be given care by someone they knew and trusted,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. “We are working hard to protect the integrity of our health care system by pursuing those who steal from Medicaid for their own profit.”
Patricia Power, age 63, of 4883 Rushmore Road , Farmington, submitted time sheets to the Center for Disability Rights indicating her other daughters Michelle Cheney and Melinda Rodas provided home care services for approximately 291 hours between September 2013 and April 2014, for their sister. Yet surveillance video taken by the Attorney General’s office shows Cheney and Rodas did not work those hours. Based upon the false time sheets, the Center for Disability Rights billed the State Medicaid Program $5,034.30 and paid out wages to Cheney and Rodas.
Town of Farmington Justice Morris Lew sentenced Power to a one year conditional discharge. Power will also pay restitution in the amount of $4,273.88 as part of her sentencing.
The investigation was led by Senior Investigator Arthur Vasile, Auditor/ Investigator Jodie Dineen with the assistance of MFCU Chief Investigator-Upstate William Falk and Regional Chief Auditor Investigator Thomas Clarke. Special Assistant Attorney General Timothy McFarland, of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit’s Rochester Regional Office, is prosecuting the case under the supervision of Medicaid Fraud Control Unit Regional Director and Chief of Criminal Investigations – Upstate, Catherine Wagner.
The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit is led by Acting Director Amy Held. The Division of Criminal Justice is led by Executive Deputy Attorney General Kelly Donovan.