A federal jury has found Markita Barnes, the owner and operator of the now-closed Here for You prenatal care coordination company, guilty on twenty federal charges. The convictions include healthcare fraud, making false statements related to healthcare matters, violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute, aggravated identity theft, obstruction of a healthcare fraud investigation, and money laundering.
According to evidence presented at trial, Barnes and her employees targeted pregnant women and young mothers by offering cash enrollment bonuses and free baby items such as car seats, pack ‘n plays, diapers, and wipes as incentives to join the company's prenatal care program. After enrolling these individuals, the company used their personal information to submit false claims to Medicaid for services that were not provided. Some claims were backdated to periods before any contact with the clients had occurred. In many cases, participants received only sporadic deliveries of diapers and wipes or nothing at all.
The trial also revealed that Barnes used proceeds from the fraudulent scheme to support an extravagant lifestyle. This included spending on luxury travel, designer clothing, and purchasing a $75,000 Mercedes.
Markita Barnes is scheduled for sentencing on March 17, 2026 by United States District Court Chief Judge Pamela Pepper. She faces a mandatory minimum sentence of two years for aggravated identity theft charges and up to twenty years in prison for each count of healthcare fraud.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation worked alongside the Medicaid Fraud and Elder Abuse Control Unit in investigating this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Julie F. Stewart and Kate M. Biebel led the prosecution.
