State law enforcement officials announced charges Friday against three area residents for Medicaid fraud.

Marcus Brumfield, 24, Amanda Jett, 37, and Deedra Brown, 44, have been charged in Madison County Circuit Court with vendor fraud and theft. Their cases are pending.

According to the charges, the three conspired to bill the state of Illinois for more than $151,000 in personal assistance services that were not provided.

The scheme allegedly took place between November, 2010, and January, 2016, according to information provided by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and Illinois State Police.

Brumfield and Jett were personal assistants for a Medicaid recipient whose name has not been released. Brown had been authorized to act as the recipient's power of attorney. In that role, she approved time sheets for the recipient's personal assistants, according to a news release.

Brumfield is Brown's son. He and Jett are alleged to have submitted fraudulent time sheets to the Illinois Department of Human Resources' Division of Rehabilitation Services for personal assistant services they claimed to have provided while the recipient was staying at a nursing home.

According to the news release, Brown allegedly approved the time sheets despite the fact that the recipient was moved into a nursing home in November of 2010.

The three are alleged to have stolen $151,350 in state funds, according to the release.

"Personal assistants provide essential services for some of Illinois' most vulnerable residents at taxpayer expense," Madigan said in the news release. "The defendants abused this critical program and need to be held accountable."

The state police's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case and referred it to Madigan's office for prosecution.

"When people commit Medicaid fraud, they are not only stealing from the government, they are also stealing from those in need of legitimate health care services," ISP Director Leo Schmitz said in the news release. "The Illinois State Police will continue to aggressively investigate claims of Medicaid fraud. We will also continue to work with Attorney General Madigan's office to ensure those who commit Medicaid fraud are brought to justice."

Chris Haddad Scanlon and Steve Swofford, both assistant Attorney Generals in Madigan's Medicaid Fraud Bureau, are handling the case.

Resource: http://www.theintelligencer.com/news/article/Three-charged-with-Medicaid-fraud-10983196.php