A Connecticut drug and alcohol abuse counselor has received a one-year federal prison sentence for submitting fraudulent claims to Medicaid for counseling sessions that were never rendered.
Shawn Tyson, 55, of Bloomfield, was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 12 months and one day in prison followed by three years of supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut. He pleaded guilty on June 21, 2024.
Tyson was a licensed alcohol and drug abuse counselor with an office located at 330 Main St. in Hartford, court records show. Investigators determined that, from November 2019 to April 2023, Tyson and Thelma “Wendy” Epps defrauded the Connecticut Medicaid program by submitting fraudulent claims for psychotherapy counseling sessions that were never provided, according to court records.
In addition, Tyson and Epps reportedly submitted claims to Medicaid under Tyson’s unique Medicaid provider number for services purportedly provided by Epps “that falsely represented that Tyson had personally provided the services to Medicaid patients,” court records show.
Investigators noted that Epps had been suspended as a Medicaid provider in 2018.
In order to conceal the scheme, Tyson reportedly provided fraudulent patient records in response to an audit of his claims performed by the Medicaid program in October and November 2022, according to court records.
Tyson is currently released on a $15,000 bond and is required to report to prison on April 10.
Dooley ordered Tyson to pay restitution of $670,960.72, “portions of which are owed jointly and severally by Epps and another licensed counselor involved in the scheme, Dennis Tomczak,” court records show.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Connecticut Department of Social Services.
People who suspect health care fraud are asked to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.