Missouri counselor Kristi Smith ordered to repay state $15,280 in fraud case

September 22, 2011

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster said today that Pemiscot County Circuit Court Judge Fred Copeland sentenced Kristi M. Smith, a provisionally licensed professional counselor in Caruthersville, to five years of supervised probation and ordered her to pay restitution, civil penalties, and investigative costs totaling $15,280.00. During her probation, she is not permitted to be a Medicaid provider.

On July 19, 2011, Smith pled guilty to one count each of Medicaid fraud, forgery, and stealing by deceit. Smith admitted that she submitted claims for payment to Medicaid for children’s counseling services she did not perform. Smith also admitted that she presented documents with forged signatures as genuine in order to support the fraudulent claims.

“As Attorney General, one of my top priorities is to catch and prosecute those who steal from Missouri taxpayers by committing Medicaid fraud,” Koster said. “We will uncover and prosecute individuals who commit Medicaid fraud, and we will recover the public money stolen from our health care system.”

Source: "Attorney General Koster announces sentencing in Pemiscot County Medicaid fraud case," Press release of Missouri Attorney General's Office, September 20, 2011.