Two found guilty in major Minnesota Medicaid fraud case

Two Minneapolis women have been convicted of operating fraudulent personal care attendant agencies as part of the largest Medicaid fraud case in Minnesota history.

Hennepin County District Judge Jay Quam found that Lillian Richardson, 54, and Bridgett Burrell, 56, defrauded the state's Medicaid program of $7.7 million meant for disabled people who need help with daily living tasks, state Attorney General Keith Ellison said in a news release Friday night.

"It's shameful that these defendants illegally set up home care companies that were supposed to help people solely for the purpose of lining their own pockets," Ellison said. "They took advantage of vulnerable people, sullied the honest work that hardworking personal care attendants do every day, and defrauded the people of Minnesota."

Richardson and Burrell were found guilty of one count each of racketeering and eight counts each of aiding and abetting theft by swindle of a value greater than $35,000.

Read more: http://www.startribune.com/two-found-guilty-in-major-minnesota-medicaid-fraud-case/505596752/