RAYVILLE, La. (AP) — Attorney General Buddy Caldwell’s office says the former owner of a Rayville personal care services agency has pleaded guilty to defrauding the state’s Medicaid program.
The guilty plea was entered Thursday by 52-year-old Patricia A. Bell of Rayville. Caldwell says in a news release that Bell was charged in a bill of information in 5th Judicial District Court. She pleaded guilty to one count of Medicaid fraud and agreed to pay $848,765.23 in restitution to the Medicaid program.
She also must pay $200,000 in civil monetary penalties plus $50,000 to cover costs including investigation and prosecution.
Bell operated a personal care services agency called Cookies Helping Hand. Caldwell’s office said she falsified background checks on home care aids and billed Medicaid for services not actually rendered.
