Five accused of Medicaid welfare fraud

Photo: Poree, Alexander, Lavine, Pitts, Procter

BATON ROUGE- Five Louisiana residents have been arrested on Medicaid welfare fraud charges.

"My Medicaid Fraud Control Unit works tirelessly to fight fraud, waste, and abuse in the welfare program that helps our state's neediest," said Attorney General Jeff Landry in a release. "Louisiana's Medicaid program costs billions of taxpayers dollars so we will continue doing all we legally can to ensure the people's hard-earned money is not being stolen."

Those arrested include:

-James Poree, 24, four counts of Medicaid fraud for allegedly submitting time sheets and service logs for services not rendered.

-Andrea Alexander, 31, three counts of Medicaid fraud for allegedly submitting time sheets and service logs for services not rendered.

-Stephanie Lavine, 38, three counts of Medicaid fraud for allegedly submitting time sheets and service logs for services not rendered.

-Tanika Pitts, 39, one count of Medicaid fraud allegedly submitting time sheets and service logs for services not rendered.

-Carolee Procter, 34, two counts of simple battery of persons with infirmities.

All five were booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison.