Attorney General's News Release

September 30, 1999

Nixon, Marion County P.A. Redington file 23-count felony complaint against former Hannibal speech pathologist

Hannibal, Mo. — Attorney General Jay Nixon and Marion County Prosecuting Attorney Thomas P. Redington yesterday filed criminal charges against former Hannibal speech pathologist Julie A. Roberts. The 23-count criminal complaint against Roberts, who now resides in Springfield, charges her with felony stealing by deceit and submitting false statements to the state Medicaid program in order to receive payments for services she did not provide.

Marion County Associate Circuit Judge John J. Jackson set bond at $50,000 for Roberts, who turned herself in to the sheriff today. The criminal charges allege that between July 1998 and February 1999, Roberts submitted billing statements to the Missouri Medicaid program for speech therapy services she did not provide and that she used those false statements to receive payment from the state.

The 18 counts of making a false statement to receive a health care payment are class D felonies under Missouri law, each punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. The five counts of stealing by deceit are class C felonies, each punishable by up to seven years in prison and a $5,000 fine. The charges against Roberts are merely accusations, and, as in all criminal cases, the defendant is presumed innocent until or unless proven otherwise in a court of law.

In February, Nixon filed a civil lawsuit against Roberts and her limited liability corporation, saying that they received $205,695 in reimbursement after submitting false claims for therapy services to the state Medicaid program.

The civil lawsuit states the claims were false and fraudulent because Roberts either never performed the procedures that were billed or, in some cases, the actual services performed were less and would have been reimbursed at a much lower rate. Nixon said in many instances Roberts submitted claims for services in excess of 24 hours in a single day.

At the time of the civil lawsuit, deputies from the Marion County Sheriff's Department went to Roberts' home and took possession of several late-model vehicles including a 1999 BMW Z3 and a 1998 Jaguar XK8 as part of a prejudgment attachment obtained by Nixon. Roberts' known bank accounts also were frozen by the court.

Inquiries from consumers should be directed to consumer@ago.mo.gov or 1-800-392-8222 (from within Missouri) or 573-751-3321 (outside Missouri).

All media inquiries should be directed to Press Secretary John Fougere.

E-mail      Phone: 573-751-8844         Fax: 573-751-5818