3 days ago
Utah woman sentenced after pleading guilty to Medicaid fraud
SALT LAKE CITY () — A Utah woman has been sentenced to serve no more than 15 years in prison after she pleaded guilty to two fraud charges related to Medicaid.
Deaun Larson Holdaway, 67, was sentenced in May, according to the Utah Attorney General's Office, for the charges of second-degree felony false claims for medical benefits and third-degree felony public assistance fraud.
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Holdaway, along with two other suspects, was reportedly responsible for submitting over 7,700 Medicaid claims between March 2019 and June 2022, through a Medicaid provider identified as a behavioral health company based in Mt. Pleasant, offering substance use disorder treatment. The Utah Attorney General's Office said the claims were for services that were not provided by professionals and were documented fraudulently.
The false claims reportedly resulted in over $12.9 million being paid to the Medicaid provider. In a statement, the Utah Attorney General's Office said none of the services would have been paid if the state's Medicaid program had known that the services were provided by unqualified individuals using false records provided by Holdaway and the two other suspects.
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'Protecting the Medicaid program against fraud is critical given the limited resources available to provide care for this needy population,' said Kaye Lynn Wootton, the director of the Medicaid Fraud and Patient Abuse Division. 'When fraudsters cause false claims to be paid by Medicaid, that reduces resources available to provide care to those who desperately need services.'
Through their investigation, the Medicaid Fraud Division also found evidence that Holdaway received public assistance benefits, such as SNAP, special payments, financial assistance and medical assistance, by underreporting her employment and income.
'In reality, Holdaway was the third highest paid worker at [the Medicaid provider], receiving compensation of over $1.36 million from January 2019 through August 2022,' the Utah Attorney General's Office said in a press release.
Holdaway was originally charged with three counts of second-degree felony false claims for medical benefits and one count of second-degree felony public assistance fraud. Through a plea deal, the court agreed to drop two false claims counts and amend the public assistance fraud charge to a third-degree felony. A restitution hearing for Holdaway has been scheduled for July 21.
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The other suspects identified in the case, Lillian Kaye Simiskey, 41, and Margaret Krisandra Christie, 42, are still awaiting trial.
Court records show Simiskey has been charged with second-degree felony pattern of unlawful activity, three counts of second-degree felony false claims for medical benefits, three counts of second-degree felony tax evasion and two counts of third-degree felony failure to render a proper tax return. She is scheduled for a court hearing on Tuesday, June 17.
Christie, meanwhile, has been charged with second-degree felony unlawful activity, two counts of second-degree felony false claims for medical benefits and one count of second-degree felony public assistance fraud. A jury trial for Christie is scheduled to begin on Dec. 16, 2025.
Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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