Haley Swaino
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
More than 20 people have been charged in the Show-Me State for about $613,000 in alleged stolen Medicaid funds, Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway announced in a press release Tuesday.
“Our office is putting fraudsters on notice: if you steal from our Missouri Medicaid program, we will find you and we will hold you accountable,” Hanaway wrote.
The fraud cases are part of the Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud Control Unit’s efforts to protect taxpayer dollars. The push to bring charges against the individuals was also part of a larger, national effort from the Trump administration — the 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, in which more than 450 defendants were charged for $6.5 billion in alleged fraud.
The release says 31 defendants were charged in 31 cases by Hanaway since Jan. 1, 2026. The Medicaid fraud unit got 11 convictions with court-ordered restitution, damages, and penalties of more than $266,000. The unit also entered into four civil settlements, recovering more than $968,000.
“Missouri filed the second-most cases out of over 40 participating states,” Medicaid Fraud Control Unit Chief Counsel Arvids Petersons wrote in the release. “I am very proud of the hard work and skill our attorneys and investigators show every day. Their effort and dedication make the unit successful in our mission to protect Missourians.”
Some of the 24 Missouri defendants are being handled in Mid-Missouri.
A Linn Creek woman allegedly forged academic nursing records to get jobs in the Lake of the Ozarks area. Darcee Heath, 38, claimed she graduated from a licensed practical nurse program to work at a hospital as a graduate practical nurse. She allegedly presented college records and a diploma to receive employment from July 2025 through October 2025. The release says supervising nurses noticed serious competency issues and said Heath was not able to take vital signs. This prompted an investigation, and she was fired.
According to online court records, multiple individuals facing Medicaid fraud cases are scheduled for initial court appearances in the Cole County Circuit Court on July 14. Five allegedly stole money for care of the elderly and disabled.
Contina Grave of St. Louis submitted 307 false claims totaling more than $23,700.
Grave allegedly enrolled a man as her caregiver without his permission in 2024, according to the probable cause statement. She also allegedly operated two bank accounts using his identity to receive payroll deposits.
Romond Holt of Kansas City stole over $4,700 by submitting 32 false claims.
According to the probable cause statement, Holt, an in-home personal care attendant, allegedly submitted fake time sheets and statements in 2023 to get Medicaid payments for services he did not provide.
Arlisa Powell of Florissant submitted 192 false claims totaling more than $80,700.
Powell, a personal caregiver, allegedly submitted false claims to Medicaid, using someone else’s identity in records, and operated a Cash App account using that other person’s identity to get payroll checks from 2017 to 2024.
Yolonda Simmons of St. Louis and Chiquita Perry of Florida are accused of stealing more than $51,700 by submitting 628 false claims.
According to the probable cause statement, Perry, a Medicaid recipient, allegedly worked with her personal care attendant, Simmons, to submit fraudulent timesheets in 2022.
Money was allegedly stolen from a disabled man by Laura Volkart, 43, of Festus. This case is not being handled in Cole County. The release says she tricked two sisters of a Medicaid recipient from Jan. 6, 2022, through Sept. 18, 2023, into paying for shopping that was allegedly for the victim. She then used the money for herself.
Volkart was a program director at Missouri Mentor, where the victim lived. The man has intellectual disabilities, a language disorder, Down syndrome, and early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. In total, she is accused of taking $18,000 from the family.
In Kansas City, a man claimed $6,000 from a caregiver’s paycheck while his grandmother was in the hospital. Kevin Oliver, 30, said he provided personal care to his grandmother from Jan. 3, 2024 to Jun. 20, 2024. The release says she was hospitalized in a long-term rehabilitation facility during that time. Oliver reportedly submitted 82 claims to Missouri Medicaid and was charged with Medicaid fraud and stealing.
Some other notable cases playing out across Missouri include adult day care centers.
Smiles Adult Day Care in St. Louis was reportedly closed and still billing the state, according to the release. Owners Chontell Wilkes, 34, and Sandra Wilkes, 55, of St. Louis, allegedly submitted 1,418 false claims for services not provided from Dec. 1, 2024, to Mar. 30, 2026. Medicaid paid the Wilkes more than $121,000 for the alleged services. Both were charged with Medicaid fraud and stealing.
Destiny Adult Daycare Center also allegedly billed for services it didn’t provide. Owner Michelle Terry, 48, of Saint Peters, submitted 953 false claims for four patients, the state alleges. Medicaid paid her more than $114,000 for the alleged services. She was charged with Medicaid fraud and stealing.
More defendants can be found in the AG’s release. People can report possible Medicaid fraud on the AG’s website.
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