Marrero Woman Indicted for Health Care Fraud

NEW ORLEANS, LA—JO ANN GIROD, age 36, of Marrero, Louisiana, was charged in a nine-count indictment by a Federal Grand Jury with Health Care Fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Jim Letten.

According to the indictment, JO ANN GIROD’s children were Medicaid recipients who were supposed to have received Personal Care Services from Medicaid provider, A New Beginning of New Orleans, located in Harvey, Louisiana. (Personal Care Services are services provided to eligible Medicaid recipients meeting certain criteria who are unable to care for themselves.) The indictment alleges that GIROD signed forms and represented that ANBNO provided these services to her children. Between April 2001 and February 2005, ANBNO workers paid GIROD cash kickbacks for the use her children’s Medicaid information. Based upon this fraudulent information, Medicaid paid approximately $65,131 to ANBNO for services that were not performed.

GIROD faces a possible maximum sentence of ninety (90) years in prison, a fine of $2,250,000, and three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

U.S. Attorney Letten reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General, and the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office - Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrice Harris Sullivan and Jordan Ginsberg.