(SitNews) Juneau, Alaska - The State of Alaska today announced Tuesday the filing of 22 criminal charges against siblings Victor Aldeza, Regino Aldeza, Albert Aldeza, George Aldeza and Lovelyemy Libao for a medical assistance fraud conspiracy lasting from January 2009 to March 2017. The defendants are alleged to have defrauded the Alaska Medicaid program out of approximately $364,756.70 by R. Aldeza pretending to suffer from debilitating disabilities. This led to the Department of Health and Social Services approving his siblings to provide full-time home-based personal care assistant (PCA) services for him. 

Once the fraud came to light, Investigators with the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit coordinated with the Alaska State Troopers, the Anchorage Police Department, the Department of Labor, the Department of Health and Social Services, and the Dimond Mall security team. Medicaid Fraud Investigators also obtained records from three Anchorage hospitals, the Alaska Court System and conducted many hours of interviews and investigation to establish that R. Aldeza was not currently suffering from a debilitating disability, nor had he been suffering from a debilitating disability since at least January 2009. For years, R. Aldeza’s siblings were paid as if they were providing full-time Medicaid-funded PCA services despite R. Aldeza allegedly not needing any of those services.

The State thanked the many members of the Anchorage community, the many law enforcement agencies, and all who participated in and cooperated with this lengthy investigation.

The top charges of medical assistance fraud and scheme to defraud carry a possible sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $100,000 and restitution to the State of Alaska Medicaid program for each of the defendants. The sentence can include exclusion from the Alaska Medicaid program. All of the charges discussed herein are merely allegations and are not evidence of guilt. All of the defendants are presumed innocent. All of the defendants are entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Anyone who sees someone engaging in PCA fraud is encouraged to report the crime to the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit by calling 907-269-6279 or by filling out the online form at the below web address, or to the Department of Health and Social Services Medicaid Program Integrity Office.

Editing by Mary Kauffman, SitNews

Source of News:

Alaska Department of Law
www.law.state.ak.us

 

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