Attorney General Bill Schuette on Friday announced felony charges against 11 individuals from across Michigan for allegedly abusing the Medicaid-funded Independent Living Services Program (Home Help Services Program). In many cases the defendants, who were often family members of the Medicaid beneficiaries, allegedly received checks for services rendered to the beneficiaries after they died.

Schuette filed criminal charges against Ollie Brent, 59, of Pontiac; Marilyn Davis, 45, of Harper Woods; Janet Dixon, 59, of Grosse Pointe Woods; Anna Goree, 35, of Detroit; Theresa Hines, 40, of Marcellus; Kristina Jurek, 44, of Macomb; Selandra Jo Mitchell, 46, of Detroit; Marilyn Oakes, 57, of Muskegon;  Patricia Ann Tompkins, 65, of Roseville; Sherita Ware, 38, of Detroit; and Carla Williams, 44, of Pontiac.  All 11 defendants improperly received Medicaid funds intended to pay for home help services for Medicaid beneficiaries. In total, the 11 defendants defrauded the Medicaid program out of more than $60,000. Schuette says

 "Vulnerable adults across Michigan depend on Medicaid personal care services, but scammers who abuse the program threaten its integrity. The message is clear: we will not tolerate any form of health care fraud at the expense of patients and taxpayers."