Woman Charged with Conspiracy and Wire Fraud Involving the Theft of $215,000 from Two Health Care Providers

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Melissa Moniz, 44, of Marianna, was arraigned today in the U.S. District Court in Tallahassee after a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging her with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and nine counts of wire fraud. The indictment was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

The indictment alleges that, between 2006 and 2014, Moniz controlled entities known as Billing and Collection Services and Billing and Collection Services, LLC (collectively “BCS”), which purportedly conducted collections work for health care providers. Moniz is charged with fraudulently obtaining money from Gynecology and Obstetrics Associates in Tallahassee for collections services that were never performed. Additionally, Moniz, is alleged to have made false statements in connection with her application for employment as the director of physician practices with the Jackson County Hospital. The indictment charges that Moniz used her position at Jackson County Hospital to induce the hospital to hire BCS for collections services and that Moniz concealed the fact that she both controlled BCS and was personally receiving the payments the hospital made to BCS. Moniz is alleged to have fraudulently obtained $215,766.68 from her scheme to defraud the two businesses.

The trial is scheduled for March 13, 2017.

This case resulted from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Stephen M. Kunz is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer

(850) 216-3854, amy.alexander@usdoj.gov