Attorney General's News Release

October 22, 2010

AG Koster announces sentencing of Perryville bookkeeper for abuse of Medicaid recipient, forgery

Jefferson City, Mo.-Attorney General Chris Koster said today that Perry County Circuit Court Judge William L. Syler has ordered Connie Jean Beckerman of Perryville to be placed on probation for five years for misappropriating funds from residents at the Perry Oaks Nursing and Rehabilitation Facility in Perryville. In addition to normal probation conditions, Judge Syler ordered Beckerman to pay restitution in the amount of $14,612.21 to the facility and also ordered her to pay $5,000 in investigative costs to the MO HealthNet Prosecution Revolving Fund to reimburse the state for costs incurred during the prosecution of her case.

Beckerman was a bookkeeper at the facility. She pleaded guilty in June to the felonies of forgery, stealing by deceit, and abuse of a person receiving health care by taking of funds. Koster said Beckerman misappropriated more than $14,500 by forging checks in order to take money from the Perry Oaks resident trust fund account for her own personal use. Beckerman’s victims were Medicaid recipients residing at Perry Oaks.

"One of my top priorities as Attorney General is to enforce our laws against those who cheat Missouri taxpayers by committing Medicaid fraud," Koster said. "We will continue to search for individuals who would perpetrate this kind of fraud, and recover public money stolen from our health care system."

Koster said citizens should report suspected Medicaid provider fraud or recipient abuse and neglect to his Medicaid Fraud Hotline toll free at 800-286-3932, e-mail the complaint or complete a complaint form at the Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Website at http://ago.mo.gov/divisions/medicaid-fraud-control-unit-faqs.htm.