Medicaid fraud trial reaches defense side
As the defense in a $3 million Medicaid fraud case took over the court Thursday, more than a dozen witnesses were called who described the defendants from Vidalia as the most trustworthy, dependable and faithful people known.
The Toombs County sheriff, Vidalia city manager, retired former director of the Department of Family and Children Services, professionals from the community and even two Augusta ministers spoke highly of the defendants and the good deeds they do professionally and personally. But the biggest witness Thursday was Carl “Tony” Wardlaw, the owner of TWI Counseling that Medicaid fraud investigators contend was used to bilk the program of more than $3 million, leaving poor children with serious problems untreated.
“I didn’t know (about the fraud) because it was hidden from me,” Wardlaw testified.
Wardlaw was TWI’s chief executive officer, his wife, Stephanie Wardlaw, was the chief finance officer, his sister, Stephanie McCloud, was his right-hand man and office manager, and his sister-in-law Sarah Wardlaw was the company’s human resource manager. Each has pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy and Medicaid fraud.
Read more: http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/2016-11-03/medicaid-fraud-trial-reaches-defense-side
[font color=330099]This is a shakes-my-head case. The owners may have had good intentions but were caught up in a situation where they were not complicit with the violations that regulators found. There are other related stories at the link.[/font]