A St. Louis-area adult day care operator is facing a federal indictment accusing him of submitting $1.47 million in false Missouri Medicaid claims over more than five years. The allegations put a local care business under a bright federal spotlight. Tony King could face up to 10 years in prison on each count if convicted.
The indictment covers claims allegedly submitted from at least February 2021 through March 2026, according to a preview from the St. Louis Business Journal. The report identifies King as the adult day care operator and says each count carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services licensing records identify Tony King Sr. as director of Agape Love Adult Day Center, a medical adult day program listed at 8705 St. Charles Rock Road in St. John. The state listing gives the center a capacity of 20 participants and weekday operating hours.
Why Medicaid Adult Day Care Claims Matter
Missouri's Adult Day Care Waiver provides services to eligible MO HealthNet participants who meet the state's nursing-facility level-of-care requirements, according to the Missouri Medicaid Audit and Compliance Unit. Because reimbursement depends on documented eligibility and delivered services, attendance and care records are central to how providers get paid.
The compliance agency says its investigators examine allegations involving Medicaid providers and can forward credible fraud findings to the state's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit or another prosecuting agency. Its examples include billing for services that were never provided, billing for more expensive services than were delivered, and duplicate billing.
A Fresh Medicaid Fraud Case In Missouri
The King case follows other recent Medicaid enforcement actions in the St. Louis region. In April, Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway announced criminal charges against a St. Louis-area couple accused of submitting false time records for personal care services that prosecutors said were not provided, according to the Missouri Attorney General's Office.
Federal prosecutors also brought a separate case in February against a Bridgeton home healthcare owner and associates accused of billing Missouri Medicaid about $1.46 million for care that was allegedly never provided. That case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and Missouri's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Missouri.
What Happens Next
The indictment against King remains an allegation, not a finding of guilt, and he is presumed innocent unless prosecutors prove the charges in court. The potential penalties are substantial: The Business Journal reports that each count carries up to 10 years in federal prison.
