John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JULIET JACOB, 49, of Wake Forest, North Carolina, formerly of Bridgeport, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to one count of health care fraud stemming from a Medicaid fraud scheme.
According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in January 2012, Jacob and another individual operated two businesses, Transitional Development And Training (TDAT), and It Takes A Promise (ITAP), both located at 360 Fairfield Avenue in Bridgeport. The businesses were to provide social and psychotherapy services to the Bridgeport area. Jacob and the other individual used ITAP and TDAT to bill Medicaid for psychotherapy services that were never provided. As part of their scheme, Jacob and the other individual used the Medicaid provider numbers of two licensed health care providers who had neither rendered nor supervised any of the psychotherapy services that Jacob and the other individual billed to Medicaid.
Through this scheme, Jacob and the other individual defrauded Medicaid of approximately $2.5 million.
As part of her guilty plea, Jacob also admitted that, in a separate scheme in 2010 and 2011, she conspired with Ronnette Brown and Beverly Coker to defraud Medicaid of more than $214,000 by fraudulently billing for psychotherapy services that were not provided.
When she is sentenced, Jacob faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. She also has agreed to a restitution order of $2,711,173. A sentencing date has not been scheduled.
Jacob is released on a $25,000 bond pending sentencing.
On May 26, 2017, a jury found Ronnette Brown guilty of 23 counts of health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, stemming from these schemes. On April 19, 2018, Judge Bolden sentenced Brown to 48 months of imprisonment and ordered her to pay restitution in the amount of $2,033,962.
Beverly Coker pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud and, on May 8, 2018, was sentenced to five years of probation and restitution of $214,555.
Three other individuals have been charged and convicted of health care fraud offenses stemming from this ongoing investigation.
This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Sheldon and Auditor Susan Spiegel.
This case is being jointly investigated by the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Chief State’s Attorney’s Office, with assistance from the Connecticut Attorney General’s Office. U.S. Attorney Durham thanked the Connecticut Department of Social Services for their role in identifying the fraudulent scheme and supporting the investigation and prosecution of the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Chief State’s Attorney’s Office and Attorney General’s Office meet regularly as part of The Medicaid Fraud Working Group. The Working Group also includes representatives from the Connecticut Department of Social Services; the Connecticut Department of Public Health; the Drug Control Division of the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection; the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the FBI. The Working Group reviews pending issues and cases, identifies trends that might indicate fraudulent activity, and coordinates efforts for maximum results.
People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
