{"id":2634152,"date":"2026-07-23T14:10:02","date_gmt":"2026-07-23T18:10:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/6-charged-with-stealing-11-million-from-indiana-taxpayers-in-medicaid-fraud-scheme\/"},"modified":"2026-07-23T14:14:54","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T18:14:54","slug":"6-charged-with-stealing-11-million-from-indiana-taxpayers-in-medicaid-fraud-scheme","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/6-charged-with-stealing-11-million-from-indiana-taxpayers-in-medicaid-fraud-scheme\/","title":{"rendered":"Medicaid Fraudsters Allegedly Stole $11 Million From Taxpayers"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2F6-charged-with-stealing-11-million-from-indiana-taxpayers-in-medicaid-fraud-scheme%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2634152&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Indiana Attorney general todd Rokita announced charges against six individuals accused of defrauding the state&#8217;s Medicaid program by over $11 million. The fraud involved billing for services that were never provided, primarily through the Senior Home Care Agency, which offers Medicaid waiver services like Attendant Care and Transportation. The largest offenders, Alexander D. byrnes and Faith A. Casas, allegedly stole nearly $11 million. Byrnes, who previously pleaded guilty to theft and fraud, used the stolen funds to spend on luxury items, including nightclubs, designer goods, and a Rolex watch. Other accused individuals, including Nichole A. Hoyt, Jessica K. Schoof, cortez L.Crook, and LaShawn N. Wright, also face charges for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars. The examination was conducted by the Indiana Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, mainly funded federally, as part of a broader crackdown on healthcare fraud under the Trump management&#8217;s initiatives. This effort aligns with national efforts to combat Medicaid fraud, which has included federal operations resulting in charges against hundreds of defendants for schemes costing billions of dollars and targeting international fraud schemes.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita announced Wednesday that six people who allegedly defrauded the state\u2019s Medicaid program of over $11 million are facing felony charges, continuing the nationwide crackdown on fraudsters stealing taxpayer dollars.<\/p>\n<p>The six fraudsters accumulated the money by billing for services never provided, a <a href=\"https:\/\/events.in.gov\/event\/attorney-general-todd-rokita-files-charges-in-109m-medicaid-fraud-case?utm_campaign=widget&#038;utm_medium=widget&#038;utm_source=State+of+Indiana\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">press release<\/a> reported, and were connected\u00a0to Senior\u00a0Home Care Agency, which provides waiver services for Indiana Medicaid, including \u201cAttendant Care, Home and Community Assistance, and Transportation services.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCommitting fraud and stealing from taxpayers is bad enough, but it is especially egregious when it\u2019s committed against our most vulnerable citizens,\u201d Attorney General Rokita said in the press statement. \u201cOur office is committed to holding these bad actors accountable, and we\u2019re not going to tolerate it in Indiana.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The press release estimates the alleged fraudsters may have cost Indiana residents $11.2 million. The costliest accused couple, Alexander\u00a0D. Byrnes and Faith A. Casas, potentially stole $10.9 million. They are both facing 14 counts of Level 4 Felony Fraud, 35 counts of Level 5 Felony Fraud, and 1 count of Level 6 Felony Fraud, the press release revealed.<\/p>\n<p>Byrnes could face a higher sentence because of his past criminal record. In 2022, he pleaded guilty to \u201cfelony counts of forgery, theft, and fraud,\u201d Indiana\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/fox59.com\/news\/indycrime\/docs-indy-man-took-international-trips-purchased-designer-brands-after-obtaining-millions-in-medicaid-fraud-scheme\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Fox 59 reported<\/a>. Byrnes\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/public.courts.in.gov\/mycase\/#\/vw\/CaseSummary\/eyJ2Ijp7IkNhc2VUb2tlbiI6ImV2MWdtUzRoLWRBZmthNzVnUGE5dWxUdVFPVVNGNGpVNUNWUG1BZVVjOEkxIn19\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">court records<\/a> indicate that he faced six years in prison for stealing over $50,000. Then the judge in his case, Grant W. Hawkins, suspended all but two days of his sentence under a plea that required him to pay $161,433 in restitution and serve over 800 hours of community service. After Byrnes finished paying off his restitution in 2025, Hawkins vacated the original felony convictions, and Byrnes instead pleaded guilty to four misdemeanor theft counts. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/fox59.com\/news\/indycrime\/docs-indy-man-took-international-trips-purchased-designer-brands-after-obtaining-millions-in-medicaid-fraud-scheme\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Fox 59 reported<\/a> that as owner of the Senior Home Care Agency, Byrnes \u201capproved fake caregiver hours into the company\u2019s reporting system for any unused client hours.\u201d By billing the elderly and sick for non-existent work, Byrnes accumulated enough cash to spend $330,000 on nightclubs, $28,000 on DoorDash, over $540,000 on Novo Custom Home Design, and $42,000 on a Rolex watch, according to court documents.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is important to remember that these people are stealing from taxpayers \u2014 from you,\u201d Rokita stated in the press release.<\/p>\n<p>Purported criminals Nichole\u00a0A. Hoyt and Jessica\u00a0K. Schoof together stole almost $224,000, and Cortez L. Crook and LaShawn N. Wright allegedly stole over $75,000.<\/p>\n<p>The Indiana Medicaid Fraud Control Unit that investigated the fraud is mainly funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a federal grant. Only 25 percent of the task force is funded by the State of Indiana, according to the press release.<\/p>\n<p>Under direction and funding from the Trump administration, Attorney General Rokita was able to follow Vice President JD Vance\u2019s directive to \u201caggressively\u201d go after fraud. In May, Vance announced that \u201chis anti-fraud task force is going to force states to prove that they actually prosecute fraud, threatening to strip billions from state legal coffers if they do not comply,\u201d the <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/05\/13\/we-are-going-to-turn-off-the-money-vances-anti-fraud-taskforce-to-make-states-prove-they-prosecute-fraud\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Federalist reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Vance\u2019s crackdown on Medicaid fraud came months after an Office of Inspector General report revealed that Medicaid <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/01\/14\/report-medicaid-paid-out-400-million-to-dead-recipients-in-just-one-year\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">dished out $400 million<\/a> to deceased people in a single year. A <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/10\/31\/5-states-handed-out-1-4b-in-federal-medicaid-funding-to-illegals\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">report<\/a> from last year revealed that five states and Washington, D.C. gave illegal immigrants over a billion dollars of taxpayer money.<\/p>\n<p>A different way the Trump administration is combating the ongoing Medicaid misuse is through the 2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/opa\/pr\/national-health-care-fraud-takedown-results-455-defendants-charged-connection-over-65\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">National Health Care Fraud Takedown<\/a>, which has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/alaska-fraud-unit-uncovers-alleged-medicaid-schemes-designed-to-steal-millions-from-taxpayers\/\" title=\"Alaska Finds Alleged Medicaid Schemes Designed To Steal Millions\">found health care fraud cases<\/a> in 45 states thus far. The Justice Department has brought charges against 455 defendants that cost the American people over $6.5 billion from health care and opioid schemes. The takedown also captured foreign\u00a0fraudsters from Kyrenia \u2014a city in Cyprus \u2014 Estonia, and the Philippines\u00a0who stole a combined total of $15.5 billion through healthcare and telemedicine schemes. Fifty state Medicaid Fraud Control Units participated in helping the Trump administration take down fraudsters.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs today\u2019s cases and arrests show, there is no case too big, no scheme too complex, and no hiding place too remote for our relentless fraud-fighting team. Our message is simple: if you put profit over patients, you should expect to be put in prison,\u201d said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department\u2019s National Fraud Enforcement Division in a DOJ <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/opa\/pr\/national-health-care-fraud-takedown-results-455-defendants-charged-connection-over-65\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">press release<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Six face felony charges for $11M Medicaid fraud in Indiana<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4304,"featured_media":2634153,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/marek-studzinski-mmzuzrieEXg-unsplash.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[50403,70848,63701,61924,83082],"class_list":["post-2634152","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-crime-2","tag-government-theft","tag-healthcare-fraud","tag-medicaid-fraud","tag-money-theft"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/marek-studzinski-mmzuzrieEXg-unsplash.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2634152","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4304"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2634152"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2634152\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2634156,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2634152\/revisions\/2634156"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2634153"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2634152"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2634152"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2634152"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}