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SALT LAKE CITY — The co-owner and manager of a now closed West Valley City women's clinic faces criminal charges for allegedly defrauding Medicaid of more than $1 million.
Larohnda Dennison, 48, coached women who are in the country illegally to apply for prenatal services through the Baby Your Baby program using fake Social Security numbers and falsely representing their immigration status, according to a federal indictment.
The indictment alleges the fraud took place between 2005 and 2010 at the Westview Women's Center. Services included office visits, lab tests and ultrasounds that were performed and interpreted by a radiologist who was not licensed in Utah, according to the indictment.
Westview solicited patients in the Hispanic community, many of whom didn't have health insurance, through newspaper, radio and TV ads and word of mouth. Only U.S. citizens and residents with green cards are eligible for Medicaid's Baby Your Baby program.
Dennison is charged with 11 counts of health care fraud and making false statements. She is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court on Jan. 9.
