News Release

INDIANAPOLIS — Attorney General Todd Rokita’s office took decisive action as part of a nationwide crackdown on health care fraud, targeting licensed medical professionals and providers allegedly involved in fraudulent schemes and drug diversion.

Attorney General Todd Rokita

The Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit conducted 13 criminal investigations into suspected Medicaid fraud, resulting in charges against 12 individuals, including one case in LaGrange County and two cases in Allen County.

“Medicaid is a critical lifeline for Hoosiers, and we have zero tolerance for those who abuse it for personal gain,” Rokita said. “Our committed team tirelessly pursues accountability for those who defraud the system, ensuring justice for our taxpayers, preserving essential resources and ensuring the proper use of controlled substances to protect patients.”

In these 13 cases, the Indiana Attorney General’s MFCU investigated licensed health care professionals and Medicaid providers suspected of illegal activities.

These investigations align with a national effort spearheaded by the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Below are summaries of the cases involving Indiana’s MFCU investigations. In each case, the fact that a person has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation, and these individuals are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

Cases In Local Counties

In LaGrange County, licensed practical nurse Sheri Hapner, 53, Middlebury, is charged with failure to make, keep or furnish a record; furnishing false or fraudulent information; and obtaining a controlled substance by fraud or deceit, all level 6 felonies. It is alleged that Hapner, while working at the Waters of LaGrange, diverted medication from patients, failed to properly document medication administration, documented false information or obtained controlled substances for her own use. This case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Robin Gillman of the Indiana MFCU.

In Allen County, Jennifer Anne Brant, 62, New Haven, is charged with fraud and theft, both level 6 felonies. Brant, a licensed home health aide, is alleged to have submitted claims for personal attendant care services provided to an in-home patient that were not actually provided. This case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Georgeanna Teipen of the Indiana MFCU.

In Allen County, Tara Tiara Brown, 43, Fort Wayne, is charged with fraud and theft, both level 6 felonies. Brown, an in-home personal care attendant, is alleged to have submitted claims for personal attendant care services provided to multiple in-home patients that were not actually provided. This case is being prosecuted by Teipen.

MCFU Cases Prosecuted Across Indiana

The following cases are being prosecuted across various counties in Indiana:

• There are two cases against registered nurse Nathaniel Stimpson, 34, Decatur. In Adams and Wells Counties, it is alleged that Stimpson, while working for Eleos Hospice Care, stole medication from patients and obtained controlled substances for his own use.
• In Hancock County, it is alleged that RN Billy Guthrie, 48, Knightstown, while working for Greenfield Healthcare Center, diverted medication from patients and obtained controlled substances for his own use.
• In Howard County, Lindsay Plake, 40, Elwood, a qualified medical aide, is alleged to have stolen prescribed medications from multiple residents of an assisted living facility where she worked.
• In Jefferson County, RN Christy A. Orwig, 58, Madison, is alleged to have dispensed patient narcotics for her own personal use on various occasions while working at a nursing home.
• In Marion County, it is alleged that RN Dezarae Polinske, 30, Elkhart, Wis., diverted medication from a patient and obtained a controlled substance for her own use while working at Ascension St. Vincent Hospital.
• In Marion County, RN Catherine Grimes, 66, Greencastle, is alleged to have acquired multiple types of prescribed controlled substances from multiple inpatients of an Indianapolis recovery center.
• In Marion County, RN Patrice R. Amos, 44, Avon, is alleged to have diverted narcotic drugs intended for facility patients for her own personal use while working at a nursing home.
• In Vanderburgh County, QMA Jenny F. Byrd, 41, Oakland City, is alleged to have diverted narcotic drugs intended for patients for her own personal use while working at a nursing home. She admitted to the diversion during the investigation.
• In Vanderburgh County, LPN Kayla R. Bell, 35, Newburgh, is alleged to have diverted patient narcotics for her own use, including signing out drugs for a patient without an active prescription while working at a nursing home. She admitted to the diversion during the investigation.

Rokita commended the investigators and attorneys of his Indiana MFCU team for their tireless efforts in these cases.

The Indiana MFCU receives 75% of its funding from the U.S. Department of HHS under a federal grant. The remaining 25% is funded by the state of Indiana.