REGISTERED NURSE PLEADS GUILTY TO FELONY MEDICAID FRAUD CHARGE

Maryland Attorney General J. Joseph Curran, Jr. announced today that Registered Nurse Dolores E. Scott, 64, of Rebecca Lane in Baltimore County, pleaded guilty in Baltimore County Circuit Court to one count of felony Medicaid Fraud pursuant to a plea agreement. The statement of facts read into the record and agreed to by Scott established that she caused the Maryland Medical Assistance program to pay $133,992 to her employer, Comprehensive Nursing Services, Inc., for in-home nursing care that she had not actually provided to her patient (Anthony). Scott herself realized approximately $90,000 in income from this scheme.

Between June 20, 2002 and August 1, 2004 Scott submitted falsified time slips to her employer Comprehensive Nursing Services Inc. that overstated the hours of care that she had provided to her patient, Anthony. Scott would have accurate time slips signed by one of Anthony’s parents and then alter the slips before turning them in to Comprehensive. Maryland Medical Assistance paid the going rate of $28.20 to Comprehensive for each false hour billed and Comprehensive in turn paid Scott $19 per hour. Comprehensive Nursing Services Inc., which was not involved in the scheme, discovered the scam in early August of 2004 because of duplicate hours on the time slips of Scott and another nurse who also took care of Anthony. At that time Comprehensive Nursing Services Inc., reported it to the Medicaid program.

Scott’s sentencing has been scheduled for May 22, 2006. The maximum penalty for Medicaid fraud is five years incarceration and a fine of $100,000. Pursuant to the plea agreement the State will recommend a split sentence of three years incarceration with part of the sentence to be suspended and part to be served. The State will also recommend a period of five years probation and restitution in the amount of
$133,000.

This case was prosecuted by the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Attorney General’s Office which has Statewide authority to prosecute cases of Medicaid fraud.