Press Release

Personal Care Attendant Convicted for Fraudulently Billing Medicaid

May 10, 2013

On May 10, 2013, 25 year old Ailini Aiesi of Anchorage, was sentenced by the Anchorage District Court for committing Medical Assistance Fraud.

The case against Aiesi arose when public assistance received a fraud referral alleging that false information was provided in an application for public assistance benefits. The investigation revealed that the beneficiary was purportedly receiving personal care assistance paid for by Medicaid while traveling outside of the United States in Pago Pago, Samoa. The State's investigation revealed that Aiesi was the personal care attendant billing Medicaid for the services. Agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) verified the travel records for Aiesi's recipient. Investigators with the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) then interviewed Aiesi and she admitted billing the State for Medicaid services she claimed to be providing while the recipient was in Samoa.

Based on the aforementioned evidence, Aiesi was convicted of two counts of Medical Assistance Fraud. Aiesi was ordered to pay a $1,500.00 fine, serve 90 days of suspended jail time, complete 90 hours of community work service, pay the State of Alaska restitution in the amount of $4,028.13, and serve five years of probation. Aiesi is also ineligible to work for or bill Medicaid for providing personal care assistance services in
the future as a result of their convictions.

The Alaska MFCU is part of the Attorney General's Office. The MFCU is responsible for investigating and prosecuting Medicaid fraud and abuse, neglect or financial exploitations of patients in any facility that accepts Medicaid funds. The indictment and information adding misdemeanor counts for each of these cases can be found on the MFCU website.

CONTACT: Assistant Attorney General Andrew Peterson at 907-269-6292. For more information about the Aiesi case or other cases handled by the Alaska MFCU, go to the MFCU website.

# # #

Department Media Contacts: Communications Director Patty Sullivan at patty.sullivan@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6368. Information Officer Sam Curtis at sam.curtis@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6269.