Thelma “Wendy” Epps, a 60-year-old licensed alcohol and drug abuse counselor from Hartford, Connecticut, has been sentenced to 27 months in prison for her involvement in a massive health care fraud scheme. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut announced the sentencing, highlighting Epps’ role in defrauding the Connecticut Medicaid program of more than $1 million.
Epps, who had been suspended from the Connecticut Medicaid program in 2018 following credible allegations of fraud, continued to bill the system through fraudulent methods. Despite warnings from Medicaid about the consequences of submitting claims via third parties, Epps conspired with two other Connecticut counselors, Dennis Tomczak and Shawn Tyson, to bypass her suspension and submit fraudulent billing claims.
From April 2019 to November 2022, Epps worked with Tomczak, a Medicaid provider, allowing her to submit false claims for psychotherapy services under his name. In exchange for this arrangement, Epps took 25% of the Medicaid payments. During this period, Medicaid paid Tomczak over $330,000 for services that were never provided.
After Tomczak raised concerns about the volume of claims, Epps switched to working with Tyson, another counselor who was enrolled in Medicaid. She helped Tyson enroll in the program and then used his credentials to submit fraudulent claims. Some of the claims involved fabricated services, while others falsely stated that Tyson had provided the treatments.
Epps and Tyson also altered dates on claims, submitting fraudulent requests for services on holidays to avoid detection. Ultimately, Medicaid paid Tyson more than $663,000 for these fraudulent claims.
In addition to her prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley ordered Epps to pay restitution of $1,001,058.43 to the Connecticut Medicaid program.
Epps’ co-conspirators, Tomczak and Tyson, have pleaded guilty to related charges and are awaiting sentencing. The case serves as a reminder of the serious consequences for those who defraud government programs intended to support vulnerable populations.
