On July 31, 2013, a Clayton County Grand Jury indicted defendant Catherine Pinkard for Medicaid Fraud (O.C.G.A. § 49-4-146.1(b)) and Theft by Taking (O.C.G.A. § 16-8-2) for falsely billing Georgia Medicaid for over $100,000.00.

Pinkard owned and operated Clayton County-based Metro Atlanta Counseling Services (MAC), which was enrolled in the Georgia Medicaid program as a provider of child and adolescent counseling services and in-home mental health counseling to youths. The indictment alleges that between August 2009 and May 2012, Pinkard submitted numerous false Medicaid claims for services which had not been rendered, services which were not documented and services that could not have been performed. For example, she submitted claims for services provided by the same MAC employee for multiple patients during the same timeframe. The Georgia Medicaid program then made payments into a bank account controlled by Pinkard based on these fraudulent claims.

Medicaid Fraud is punishable by up to ten years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Theft by Taking is punishable by up to ten years in prison and a $100,000 fine.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Steven Lee. The case was investigated by Chief Auditor Investigator Anita Reddick, Investigator Chekesha Johnson, Investigator Tiffany Reed, Nurse Investigator Nancy Goddard, Intelligence Analyst Vanda Russell and Auditor Kim Kolesink with the assistance of the Department of Community Health.

Members of the public should keep in mind that indictments contain only allegations against the individual(s) against whom the indictment is sought. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty, and it will be the government’s burden at trial to prove the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of the allegations contained in the indictment.