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Hillsborough County Man Arrested for $41,000 Grand Theft

TALLAHASSEE, FL - Attorney General Bill McCollum today announced the arrest of a Hillsborough County man on charges that he submitted falsified records for health care services never provided so he could receive the Medicaid reimbursements. Theodore Gaines Hartzog, Jr. was arrested by authorities with the Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and will be charged with third-degree grand theft. The arrest was made based on information obtained from the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, an active partner in the fight against Medicaid fraud.

"Our disabled citizens deserve a high standard of care and respect and we will continue to enforce those standards," said Attorney General McCollum.

Hartzog, 47, was employed by We Care Inc., a home and community-based service company which provides in-home support services for developmentally disabled individuals. Investigators believe Hartzog falsified at least 48 separate claims on behalf of one Medicaid recipient, who denied receiving his services. Hartzog submitted those claims to We Care, which used the service records to apply for Medicaid reimbursements totaling more than $41,000. The company cooperated with the state's investigation.

Authorities took Hartzog into custody and booked him into the Hillsborough County jail. He faces one charge of third-degree grand theft and if convicted could be sentenced to up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. The case is being prosecuted by the State Attorney's Office for the 13th Judicial Circuit.