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Principal Among Three Charged With Medicaid Fraud
An Oklahoma City Public Schools principal, her husband and and third man were charged with Medicaid fraud Friday. The charges come after an internal investigation by the school district and investigation by the state's attorney general's office.
The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit filed charges against Cynthia Barchue, 52, with three felony counts of Medicaid fraud. Joseph Barchue, 56, and Michael Fenner, Jr., 37, were each charged with a felony and misdemeanor count of Medicaid fraud.
Cynthia Barchue is a principal at Greystone Upper Elementary School, she worked for another OKCPS school in 2011, when the alleged fraud took place.
"The district's own internal investigation led us to contact the Attorney General's office in the spring of 2011. We immediately turned our records over to the Attorney General at that time and Friday's arrests are a result of that investigation," Superintendent Karl Springer said in a statement.
The Attorney General's Office said the Barchues were recruiting students for counseling a YouthCare of Oklahoma. According to their charges, the couple would then make claims to Medicaid for sessions that never happened. Fenner was a licensed drug and alcohol counselor under supervision. The Attorney General's Office says he billed for the made up services and falsified documents.
Here is the complete statement from Springer regarding the case:
"The Oklahoma City Public School District was informed on Thursday by the Oklahoma State Attorney General's office that Cynthia Barchue, Greystone Upper Elementary School principal, will be arrested on charges of Medicaid fraud on Friday. The district's own internal investigation led us to contact the Attorney General's office in the spring of 2011. We immediately turned our records over to the Attorney General at that time and Friday's arrests are a result of that investigation.
We take any allegation of wrongdoing seriously, and we applaud the Attorney General's office for their work on this case. I can assure you, we will not tolerate any unethical or illegal practices as prohibited by Oklahoma and Federal law. In the case of Cynthia Barchue, all documents conducted in the internal investigation were turned over to the Attorney General and are being used as evidence in the case against Mrs. Barchue. OKCPS could not previously take disciplinary action against Mrs. Barchue because it would have jeopardized the federal prosecutor's case.
It is my commitment to the parents, students and constituents of Oklahoma City Public Schools that I have and will continue to report and cooperate with all necessary agencies on wrongdoings uncovered in the district."
Karl Springer
OKCPS Superintendent
Posted: Friday, January 18 2013, 06:44 PM CST
IN OKLAHOMA NEWS
Major accomplishments of 2013 Oklahoma Legislature
May 24, 2013 23:22 GMT
Eds: With BC-OK-XGR--Oklahoma Legislature
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Major items passed by the Oklahoma Legislature, which was working Friday to wrap up its 2013 session:
-- Tax Cut: Lawmakers adopted legislation that reduces the state's top income rate from 5.25 percent to 5 percent beginning Jan. 1, 2015, with a second cut to 4.85 percent set for 2016 if state revenues continue to rise. The measure has been signed into law by Gov. Mary Fallin.
-- State Capitol Improvements: The tax cut bill also diverts $120 million in income tax revenue over the next two years to a fund that will finance improvements and repairs to the State Capitol building. Built between 1914 and 1917, yellow barricades now ring the building's south plaza to keep pedestrians from walking beneath pieces of a limestone facade that has crumbled from the building.
-- Budget Bill: The Legislature adopted a $7.1 billion general appropriations bill to fund state government for the fiscal year that begins July 1. The bill increases spending by nearly $270 million over the current year's budget, with funding growth focused mostly on education, health care and human services.
-- Worker's Compensation: Fallin signed legislation to overhaul the state's workers' compensation system. The measure changes Oklahoma's current court-based system to an administrative structure. Supporters say the change will dramatically reduce workers' compensation costs to businesses.
-- CompSource: Lawmakers also passed a measure that converts the nonprofit CompSource Oklahoma into an independent mutual company that will be known as CompSource Mutual Insurance Company. The agency writes about one-third of Oklahoma's workers' compensation policies.
-- Rainy Day Appropriation: Within days of devastating tornadoes that struck Moore, Shawnee and other areas, lawmakers approved using $45 million from the state's constitutional reserve fund to help communities recover from the damage. Among other things, the money will help pay for repairs to local infrastructure damaged by the tornadoes and the overtime costs of first responders. A total of 24 people, including 10 children, died in the Moore tornado and two other people were killed in the Shawnee tornado.
-- Pension Changes: Lawmakers passed legislation to reduce the unfunded liability of Oklahoma's pension system for firefighters. The bill requires new firefighters to be at least 50 years old and have worked for 22 years, instead of the current 20 years, to be eligible for benefits. New firefighters also would not become vested until they had worked for 11 years, instead of the current 10 years. The bill also increases the amount that firefighters, municipalities and the state pay into the system each year.
OKLAHOMA HEADLINES
Major accomplishments of 2013 Oklahoma Legislature
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