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Defendants Sentenced In Multi-Million Dollar Healthcare Fraud Conspiracy

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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Two Pittsburgh residents, Autumn Brown, 31, and Brenda Lowry Horton, 48, were sentenced in federal court today for conspiracy to defraud the Pennsylvania Medicaid program.

United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon sentenced both women to five years of probation including six months of home detention for their roles in a years-long conspiracy.

They were also ordered to pay restitution to the Pennsylvania Medicaid program in the amount of $68,917.80 and $67,107.32, respectively.

During their plea hearings in December 2018, they admitted they were employees of one or ore related entities operating in the home healthcare industry including Moriarty Consultants, Inc., Activity Daily Living Services, Inc., and Everyday People Staffing, Inc. Each of these were owned or controlled by Arlinda Moriarty. Each were approved to offer certain services to qualifying Medicaid recipients.

Between in and around January 2011 and in and around April 2017, MCI, ADL and another company Coordination Car, Inc., collectively received more than $87 million in Medicaid payments based on claims submitted for these services.

During that time, the defendants admitted they participated in a wide-ranging conspiracy to defraud the Pennsylvania Medicaid program for the purpose of obtaining illegal Medicaid paymetns through fraudulent claims for services never provided to the consumers.

It was also advised that the defedants conspired with various office workers at the companies, including Tiffhany Covington and Tia Collins. They admitted to fabricating timesheets to reflect the provision of in-home PAS care, but the service was never provided. They used falsified names instead of their own in order to receive kickbacks.

Brown admitted she allowed her name to be used and that she received a portion of the fraudulent proceeds from Covington.

To date, 16 people have been charged with offenses related to the conspiracy.

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