Suthers Obtains Guilty Pleas in Medicaid Fraud Cases

Attorney general John Suthers announced today that his office has obtained guilty pleas in two Medicaid fraud cases.

Cortney Ileane Miller, 55, pleaded guilty Aug. 14 to forgery. She was sentenced to five years of probation, with conditions to include 100 hours of useful public service and restitution of more than $23,000.

The state alleged that Miller, who worked in an Adams County wheelchair supply company owned in part by her husband, acquired an invoice from a supplier for an expensive power wheelchair and then modified the invoice and included it in support of several bills that she submitted to the Colorado Medicaid program for other clients. Most of the bills were for much less expensive equipment, but Miller claimed the high price supported by the false invoice, plus profit.

In an unrelated case, Michelle Riley, 41, a former co-worker of Miller, pleaded guilty July 24 to theft, a class-four felony, and forgery, a class-five felony. Her convictions arise from charges that she submitted several false Medicaid bills to the state. Riley received five years probation and was ordered to reimburse teh state more than $63,000.

The state alleged that Riley, who is the owner of a Denver-based wheelchair supply company, submitted bills to Medicaid for three wheelchairs which were never supplied to the recipients, and over-billed three other wheelchairs and one power scooter. Riley also allegedly falsified wheelchair repair records to collect for repairs that did not happen.

Riley and Miller had worked together in the past, but their crimes appeared unrelated.