COMPANY OWNER CHARGED WITH 42 COUNTS OF MEDICAID FRAUD AND THEFT

Maryland Attorney General J. Joseph Curran, Jr., announced today that Angelo Reynolds, 38, of the 8000 block of Harvest Bend Lane in Laurel, and his company, MYPO, Inc., were charged with felony Medicaid fraud and felony theft in a pair of 42 count criminal indictments filed in Baltimore City Circuit Court. MYPO stands for Maximizing Your Potential and Opportunities.

It is alleged that, from November, 2003 to June, 2004, Reynolds and his company knowingly submitted more than $250,000 in fraudulent claims to the Maryland Medicaid program. Those claims represented that the company had provided therapy services to clients when Reynolds knew the services had not been performed. MYPO served eligible Medicaid recipients in Baltimore City and Prince George’s County.

The case is being prosecuted by the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) of the Maryland Attorney General’s Office. The MFCU conducted the investigation with assistance from the Mental Hygiene Administration (MHA), which suspended payments to MYPO, Inc. in June of 2004. MHA has been working with the MFCU to root out fraud in its programs, and several cases of possible fraudulent behavior by MHA providers are currently under investigation by the Attorney General’ s Office.

While an indictment is only an accusation and all persons are presumed innocent unless proven guilty, a charge of felony Medicaid fraud is punishable by a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison and a $100,000 fine. Felony theft is punishable by a maximum sentence of 15 years and a fine of $25,000.

An arraignment date has been set in Baltimore City Circuit Court for March 20th.