Suffolk woman pleads guilty to fraud [Video]

NORFOLK, Va. — A Suffolk woman pleaded guilty on Aug. 26 to one count of healthcare fraud and six counts of making false statements relating to healthcare matters.

According to court documents, from June 2016 through October 2018, Whitteney Guyton, 43, engaged in a scheme to defraud the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services, which administers Medicaid in the Commonwealth. Guyton owned and operated Synergy Health Systems LLC (Synergy), which provided healthcare services to patients covered by Medicaid, according to a press release from U.S. Attorney Jessica Aber.

Guyton billed Medicaid for the services she claimed Synergy provided to patients. However, the company’s records were falsified, incomplete, failed to comply with basic Medicaid requirements, and included inflated time.

Synergy offered two types of care: personal and respite care, and mental health skill building (MHSS). The services …