JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Duval County home health aid was arrested after reportedly skipping out on her patient visits, and instead, sitting outside in her car.
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office charged a Duval County home health aide employee with falsifying time spent helping a disabled Medicaid recipient.
According to the MFCU investigation, Diane Johnson did not provide any services to a disabled adult for five weeks, and instead sat in the car outside the patient’s home.
Unable to care and clean the house due to a disability, the patient's home became a mess and Johnson refused to do the services required.
Officials say the investigation began when a social worker visited the house of the disabled adult and found Johnson sitting in the car outside. The social worker called the owner of the community-based service provider company that employed Johnson.
They drove to the home and found Johnson sitting in the car.
After confronting Johnson, officials say Johnson violently cursed, fled the scene and never returned—stealing the tablet the company provided.
Johnson faces one count of Medicaid fraud, a third-degree felony, and one count of grand theft, also a third-degree felony.
If convicted, Johnson faces up to 10 years in prison and more than $25,000 in fines. Attorney General Moody’s MFCU will prosecute this case with the State Attorney for the Fourth Judicial Circuit.
