MARYLAND (WBFF) — A mother and daughter duo from Parkville were sentenced for their roles in a $3.6 million Medicaid fraud scheme, according to the Maryland Attorney General’s office.
On Dec. 8, Tasha S. Saunders, 46, was sentenced to a total of 10 years in prison for two counts of Medicaid Fraud.
On Nov. 6, her daughter, Tamyra Jordan, 26, was sentenced to 5 years of supervised probation and must pay $232,900 in restitution.
Officials noted that a third defendant involved in the fraud is Robert Higgins, who pled guilty and agreed to pay back $341,900. Higgins’ sentencing is scheduled for January 13, 2026.
From November 2019 through September 2024, Saunders operated two behavioral health companies called Guiding Lives Inc. and Another Chance Supportive Services LLC (ACSS).
Both companies submitted fraudulent claims for Psychiatric Rehabilitation Program services, a program that provides community-based comprehensive rehabilitation and recovery services for individuals suffering from severe mental health conditions.
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Saunders hired her daughter, Jordan, to manage and conduct billing for Guiding Lives Inc., and they both committed the fraud by forging signatures, creating fake patient records, and stealing the identities of healthcare providers and Medicaid recipients, authorities reported.
This resulted in Maryland Medicaid reimbursing $3,672,958.66 for services that were never provided.
Back in 2021, Saunders had a prior conviction for Medicaid Fraud, and as part of her plea deal, she admitted to creating fake patient files, stealing identities, and submitting fraudulent claims.
At that time, she was sentenced to 9 months in prison, followed by 9 months of home detention, along with 5 years of supervised probation, and was ordered to pay $470,744.67 in restitution.
Saunders was then placed on the Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General Exclusion List, which excludes individuals from working for or receiving payment from federal healthcare programs.
Since Medicaid is a federally funded healthcare program, Saunders’ status on the exclusion list led her to further lie on her Medicaid provider application, hiding any affiliation with the companies she created.
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From January 1, 2022, to September 12, 2024, Saunders, Jordan, and Higgins operated Guiding Lives and fraudulently billed Maryland Medicaid for services that never occurred.
They also created fake patient records and billed recipients who had been falsely claimed by Saunders’ prior companies, even though those recipients never received any services, all while Saunders was on the exclusion list.
During that time frame, Maryland Medicaid paid Guiding Lives $2,837,958.66, authorities said.
Furthermore, Saunders incorporated ACSS in September 2022 while on probation and on the exclusion list, concealing her involvement by using the names of several unwitting individuals.
Saunders then stole the identities of licensed healthcare providers, including staff from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, to fabricate referrals and rehabilitation plans.
These documents were submitted to the Maryland Department of Health to bill for services that never occurred.
From June 1, 2023, to September 12, 2024, Saunders and Higgins submitted false claims on behalf of ACSS, totaling $835,000.00.
During the investigation, the state executed almost a dozen search warrants for emails, cell phone, and cloud storage accounts, which revealed a “sophisticated system” for generating fake patient records.
Several Medicaid recipients were also interviewed and had no knowledge of the companies or the services built under their names.
“Stealing millions from Medicaid while on probation for identical fraud is a brazen insult to vulnerable Marylanders,” said Attorney General Brown, via a press release. “These sentences deliver justice and protect the lifesaving healthcare one in four Marylanders depend on.”