State prosecutors say a Glenview woman turned an Illinois program meant to keep people with severe disabilities living safely at home into her own personal revenue stream, collecting more than $44,000 she was not entitled to.
Deborah Mazeika, 56, was charged on May 12 with two counts of Class 1 felony theft, one count of Class 1 felony vendor fraud, and one count of Class 3 felony forgery, according to prosecutors. Authorities allege Mazeika submitted false claims for in-home services on days when the people she was supposed to be caring for were actually admitted to long-term inpatient facilities or when she was clocked in at another job. Her next court appearance is scheduled for June 23.
According to the Chicago Tribune, the Illinois Department of Human Services referred the case to Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s Medicaid Fraud Bureau, which is prosecuting the matter. Assistant Attorney General Daniel Duffy is assigned to handle the case, the Tribune reports.
How prosecutors say the scheme worked
Prosecutors allege Mazeika filed timesheets and invoices claiming she was providing hands-on care through the Illinois Home Services Program when her clients were actually hospitalized or in long-term care facilities. Some of the hours she billed also allegedly overlapped with shifts she was working at another job, according to investigators.
WBBM Newsradio reports that investigators say those allegedly bogus claims together triggered more than $44,000 in state payments.
Penalties and enforcement
Each of the Class 1 felony theft and vendor fraud counts is punishable by up to 15 years in prison, while the forgery charge carries a maximum of five years, prosecutors say.
Patch notes Attorney General Kwame Raoul has called the Home Services Program “essential” and said it is “unconscionable” for anyone to exploit it.
What is next in court
Court records show Mazeika is not in custody and is due back in Cook County court on June 23. Prosecutors plan to present the case through Raoul’s Medicaid Fraud Bureau. The Chicago Tribune reports Assistant Attorney General Daniel Duffy will prosecute the matter on behalf of the state.
Background: Crackdown on Home Services fraud
Raoul’s office has pursued similar Home Services Program fraud cases in recent years, securing guilty pleas and restitution in cases where vendors submitted false time sheets for disability care, according to the Illinois Attorney General’s office.
The Illinois Attorney General notes that those earlier prosecutions are part of an ongoing effort to protect Medicaid funds and ensure programs serving vulnerable residents are not treated as easy money.
