The Office of the Attorney General announced that defendants Luvinia Nipple and Margaret Rivers pled guilty to one count of Medicaid Fraud on November 16. A Richmond County judge sentenced Luvinia Nipple to serve 10 years of probation and pay restitution in the amount of $112,532.38. Margaret Rivers, for her part in the scheme, was sentenced to three years of probation.

“I’m proud of our Medicaid Fraud Control Division for investigating and successfully prosecuting this case.” said Attorney General Chris Carr. “This is one of many cases we have prosecuted recently that involves a parent undermining the integrity of our Medicaid program and neglecting their responsibility to devote these funds to support their child. This trend is unacceptable.”

The defendants in this case took unlawful advantage of a Medicaid program designed to assist Ms. Nipple’s disabled daughter, Bodicia Nipple, in the home.  In this program, known as patient directed care, typically a parent will hire a licensed caregiver to come to the home to provide care to the disabled adult or child.

Luvinia Nipple submitted enrollment documents on behalf of two caregivers, one being Margaret Rivers, to Acumen, the provider contracted by the State to administer this particular program which handles enrollment and payment to caregivers.  These documents laid the false groundwork to deceive Acumen.  Acumen received false timesheets weekly from Luvinia Nipple claiming that nursing care services had been provided to her daughter in the home when in fact they had not.  According to the two caregivers shown on the timesheets, they did not provide the services as claimed by Luvinia Nipple.

This case was investigated and prepared for prosecution by our Medicaid Fraud Control Division. The investigation was conducted by Investigator Trent Williams, Investigative Auditor Phylicia Kitchens and Intel Analyst Zwella Boyd, and the prosecution was conducted by Assistant Attorney General Henry A. Hibbert.