Press Release

Primary Care Assistant Pleads Guilty to Attempted Medical Assistance Fraud

August 20, 2025

(Anchorage, AK) – Yesterday, Teresa D’Unicorn, 55, pleaded guilty to one count of Attempted Medical Assistance Fraud for conduct that occurred between 2019 and 2021.

A resident from Palmer, D’Unicorn worked as a Primary Care Assistant (PCA) providing services for Medicaid recipients. In 2024, she disclosed to her employer that she had not actually provided all the services that had been billed to Medicaid. During an investigation conducted by the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU), D’Unicorn again admitted that she had billed Medicaid for services she did not provide.

As part of the plea agreement, D’Unicorn will pay $30,000 in restitution to the Alaska Department of Health. D’Unicorn will be placed on informal probation for three years and she will be excluded from participating in the Medicaid program for five years.

Investigator Scott Wright with the Alaska Department of Law’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case. Assistant Attorney General Cynthia Cook prosecuted the case along with Paralegal Tracy Pabel

*The Alaska MFCU is part of the Alaska Department of Law and is located in Anchorage. It is responsible for investigating and prosecuting Medicaid fraud, abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation of patients in any facility that accepts Medicaid funds. The unit is 75% federally funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $1,984,728 for FY 2025. The remaining 25%, totaling $661,572 is funded by the State of Alaska. Citizens with information about suspected medical assistance fraud, patient abuse or neglect are encouraged to use the Alaska MFCU online complaint form or to contact the unit at (907) 269-6279.

CONTACT: Cynthia Cook, Assistant Attorney General, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit at (907) 269-6279.

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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.