Attorney General Jack Conway and his Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Control Unit today announced an Alford plea of guilty and sentencing of a former certified medical technician (CMT) on two counts of Wanton Caretaker Abuse or Neglect.
This morning, 35-year-old Terri Henry of Hopkins County was sentenced in Hopkins Circuit Court to three years prison, which will be diverted for a period of five years. Henry was ordered to give up her CMT license which will prevent her from working in long term care facilities in the future. During this five-year period, Henry will be supervised by the Division of Probation and Parole.
Henry worked as a caregiver for Dawson Springs Health & Rehabilitation Center, a company based in Hopkins County, which provides Medicaid funded treatment to patients with intellectual disabilities. On March 18, 2015, Henry pled guilty to two counts of Wanton Caretaker Abuse or Neglect, Class D felonies with penalty ranges of 1 to 5 years. In pleading guilty, it was alleged Henry failed to provide medication to patients on two occasions in 2013 and on at least one occasion, the medication was found in the trash can connected to the medication cart that Henry was using.
The investigation was conducted by Attorney General Conway’s Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Control Unit after receiving a citizen complaint. This case was prosecuted by the Office of the Hopkins County Commonwealth Attorney, Kathryn Senter.
The Attorney General's Office believes that every patient in a nursing home, Medicaid facility, or personal care home deserves to be treated with dignity and respect and should be free from patient abuse, neglect or exploitation. Instances of abuse will be investigated, and when appropriate, prosecuted. Attorney General Conway has investigated and prosecuted more abuse and neglect cases than any previous Kentucky Attorney General. The Attorney General’s tip line for reporting allegations of abuse is 1-877-228-7384.
Medicaid Recoveries
Since Attorney General Conway took office in January 2008, his Office of Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Control has recovered or been awarded more than $280 million for the state and federal Medicaid programs. These cases range from lawsuits and settlements against pharmaceutical companies to cases against individual providers.
In 2013, General Conway’s Medicaid Fraud Unit was named one of the most aggressive in the country by the nonprofit watchdog group Public Citizen.
