MEDICAID FRAUD INDICTMENT ALLEGES FALSE CLAIMS FOR CAREGIVER SERVICES

United States Attorney Mark A. Klaassen announced today that Holly Lundahl, age 63, was arrested on April 6, 2020 in Rapid City, South Dakota following an indictment by a federal grand jury in Wyoming for three counts of health care fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft.  The charges involve allegedly fraudulent claims submitted to the Wyoming Medicaid program.  The indictment is part of an ongoing investigation conducted by the Wyoming Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

According to the indictment, Lundahl submitted false documentation to the Wyoming Medicaid program to register two individuals as care providers for a disabled Medicaid beneficiary. The indictment further alleges that Lundahl submitted claims for services in both individuals’ names despite the fact that neither of these individuals provided the claimed services. Lundahl also allegedly signed herself up as a care provider using false documentation and contrary to Wyoming Medicaid rules. In total, Lundahl allegedly submitted over $73,000 worth of fraudulent claims between June 2016 and January 2020.

“My office, in cooperation with the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, is focused on protecting this important program from fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Klaassen. “False claims undermine the integrity of the system and limit our ability to help those who rely on the program for legitimate needs.”

An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged in indictments are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The Wyoming Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigates and prosecutes fraud by those providing health care services or goods to Medicaid beneficiaries. The unit also investigates and prosecutes instances of abuse, neglect, and exploitation in Medicaid funded health care facilities. Wyoming residents can call the Wyoming Medicaid Fraud Control Unit toll free at 1-800-378-0345, or visit the Unit’s website at http://ag.wyo.gov/medicaid-fraud-control-unit.