On Wednesday, January 8, 2014, Jeannette Mary Hokanson, of Atlanta, pled guilty in Fulton County Superior Court to one count of Identity Fraud (O.C.G.A. § 16-9-120), one count of Forgery in the First Degree (O.C.G.A. § 16-9-1) and one count of False Statements and Writings (O.C.G.A. § 16-10-20) for fraudulently billing Georgia Medicaid.

In October 2007, Hokanson, a registered nurse, began working for a home health agency located in Fulton County. She provided skilled nursing services to patients of the company.

On September 18, 2012, a patient under the nursing care of Hokanson was pronounced dead in Atlanta. Hokanson continued to submit nursing visit notes to her employer, which fraudulently reflected that the patient was alive, after the patient’s death. The majority of the notes also contained a forged signature of the deceased patient and an attestation clause signed by Hokanson that she preformed the visit.

Judge Walter Lovett sentenced Hokanson under the First Offender Act to ten years probation.

Assistant Attorney General Robin Daitch prosecuted the case on behalf of the State of Georgia. The case was investigated by Investigator Ralph Harper, Nurse Investigator Mary Murr, Chief Analyst Carmen Staley and Investigative Auditor Denise Colson of the Georgia Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Investigator Chuck Miller of the Georgia Secretary of State, Investigation’s Division, assisted in the investigation.