Minnesota woman pleads guilty to $860,000 of Medicaid fraud

Courtesy of: Minnesota Department of Justice
Courtesy of: Minnesota Department of Justice

(St. Paul, MN) -- Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced that his office obtained guilty pleas from a ringleader in a scheme to defraud Minnesota's Medicaid program for more than $860,000. 

46-year-old Trenea Deshawn Davis and seven other individuals were charged for running a 5-year-long scheme to defraud the Medicaid program. Court documents say Davis recruited several friends and family members to both feign or exaggerate medical conditions to get funds to apply for services. Court documents says Davis then enlisted the help of others to report providing those services, splitting the funds between everyone involved. 

“Minnesotans who receive Medical Assistance have a right to expect that they’ll receive all the care, dignity, and respect they’re entitled to. Minnesotans trying to afford their lives have a right to expect that every one of their tax dollars will be put to use properly,” said Attorney General Ellison.  “People who commit Medicaid fraud violate both of those rights. I’m proud of my office for aggressively prosecuting this case and securing this guilty plea. Anyone who defrauds Minnesotans needs to know we will hold them accountable, too.” 

As part of the guilty plea, Davis admitted that no one involved with her scheme received or provided legitimate services. She also admitted to assisting her husband, children, siblings, cousins, and friends in reporting services that did not occur. She admitted more, including splitting the fraudulently obtained funds, with a large majority of them going to Davis. 

Of Davis's seven co-conspirators, six have pled guilty.

Davis plead guilty to five counts of aiding and abetting theft by swindle (over $35,000). She will be sentenced on February 15, 2022.