St. Louis Man Admits Home Health Care Fraud

ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis, Missouri on Thursday admitted using his brother’s identity to fraudulently obtain about $31,700 from the Missouri Medicaid Program.

Christopher J. Spencer, 46, waived indictment by a grand jury and pleaded guilty to five counts of making false statements relating to health care benefits. Spencer admitted making false statements from June 2018 to February 2022 in connection with claims for Medicaid-reimbursed personal care assistance services.

Spencer previously received those services, which can include housekeeping, meals, bathing, grooming and transportation, from his brother, who lived with Spencer.  At that time, his brother was reimbursed for the services by the Missouri Medicaid Program and its vendors via a debit card.  After his brother moved out in 2018, Spencer continued to submit, on a near daily basis, time sheets and Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) records falsely claiming that his brother was providing care for him.  Spencer also submitted enrollment paperwork to the Medicaid vendor listing his brother as his personal care attendant and containing his brother’s forged signature.  In reality, Spencer’s brother never provided services to Spencer after June 2018.  Spencer retained the debit card used by the Missouri Medicaid Program and its vendors to reimburse his brother and spent the fraudulently-obtained payments deposited onto the card. 

Between June 2018 and February 2022, Spencer fraudulently received about $31,700 on the debit card that he used for personal expenses such as bills, rent, groceries, shopping and hotels. He also used his brother’s name and personal information to obtain loans or advances on reimbursement payments from the Medicaid vendor. 

“Through his scheme to defraud the Medicaid program, the defendant stole taxpayer funds meant to pay for legitimate services for eligible beneficiaries,” said Linda Hanley, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG).  “HHS-OIG will hold accountable those who exploit federal health care system for personal gain.”

Spencer is scheduled to be sentenced August 4. Each false statement charge is punishable by up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and a fine. Spencer will also be ordered to repay the money.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Missouri Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.