DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - A Suwanee behavioral health provider faces 31 felony counts after state prosecutors accused her of stealing more than $40,000 from Georgia Medicaid while traveling out of state.
What we know:
Grand jurors indicted 49-year-old Melissa Howard on Sept. 15 on 16 counts of Medicaid fraud and 15 counts of false statements and writings.
Howard owned and operated Behavior Solutions, LLC as a behavior support specialist, offering therapy planning for autistic and disabled people in home and group settings.
State officials say she billed the government for services she never provided while traveling away from Georgia.
Attorney General Chris Carr emphasized that his office will aggressively prosecute anyone abusing programs meant for vulnerable citizens.
What we don't know:
State officials have not yet confirmed the exact dates or destinations of Howard's out-of-state travel during the alleged fraud.
The Attorney General's Office stated no additional details about the investigation can be released right now.
Court dates for Howard's arraignment have not been publicly announced.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Georgia Attorney General's Office, which announced the grand jury indictment and detailed the official investigation.