Former Caregiver Sentenced for Attempted Robbery and Negligence

WASHINGTON—Micheline Ngouabou, a former employee of T & N Reliable Nursing Care (T & N), a District of Columbia staffing company, recently was sentenced for felony attempted robbery and misdemeanor criminal negligence of a vulnerable adult, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., John G. Perren, Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Charles J. Willoughby, Inspector General for the District of Columbia.

Ngouabou, 43, of Silver Spring, Maryland, pled guilty to attempted robbery and criminal neglect of a vulnerable adult and was sentenced on October 26, 2010, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia before the Honorable Jennifer Anderson. For the felony attempted robbery count, Judge Anderson sentenced the defendant to 18 months in prison, with all but six months suspended, and three years of supervised probation. For the misdemeanor criminal neglect of a vulnerable adult, Judge Anderson sentenced the defendant to 180 days in prison consecutive to the 18 months, with all days suspended, and three years of supervised probation to run concurrently with the felony probation.

Additionally, the court ordered Ngouabou not to work with vulnerable populations, and to pay $3,000 towards the Victim of Violent Crime Compensation Act fund.

According to the government’s evidence, the defendant worked as a Home Health Aide for T & N Reliable Nursing Care under another person’s name. Ngouabou used the other person’s name, identification, and documents to gain employment at T & N. She falsely presented herself as a certified Home Health Aide to T & N and the victim. Ngouabou worked at the home of a person with diabetes, kidney disease, and other ailments and who required assistance in his home. From March 2009 through August 2009, she repeatedly took cash left on the victim’s nightstand as she gave him a sponge bath with his back turned to the nightstand. The victim noticed cash was missing at times that correlated to when Ngouabou was working at his home.

The victim set up a recording device and captured images of her taking money. During the relevant time period, Ngouabou took more than $3,000 from the victim. She neglected to properly care for the patient, as she did not have any training or certification as a Home Health Aide. Her negligence resulted in physical harm to the patient she was assigned to care for.

In announcing the conviction and sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen, Acting Assistant Director Perren, and Inspector General Willoughby praised the work of former investigator Jonathan Rich from the Office of the Inspector General Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) for his investigation of the theft and criminal neglect. Mr. Machen and Mr. Willoughby also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Klein and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacqueline N. Schesnol of the MFCU who jointly prosecuted the case.