Yet Another Florida Facility Owner Convicted of Medicare & Medicaid Fraud
Ilfrenise Charlemagne was the owner and operator of Hilcrest Residential Assisted Living Facility in St. Pete. She will now reside in a Florida penitentiary due to repeated instances of stealing resident funds to pay for her personal lifestyle expenses. The Assisted Living Medicare and Medicaid fraud continued uninterrupted for years, even in the face of accusations from government inspectors. This is further proof that Florida needs to ramp up its regulatory agencies monitoring assisted living facilities.
The Million Dollar Fraud Heist
Charlemagne was convicted of diverting more than $1 million dollars in ALF resident funds coming from elderly resident Social Security and Medicaid benefits. Stealing these benefits from residents, Charlemagne paid off her luxury car lease payments, personal credit card bills and her condo rent payments. At trial, the corrupt Assisted Living Facility owner pleaded guilty to wire fraud in November of 2016. She has been ordered to repay victims the money she stole and has been sentenced to 33 months in Florida prison.
If you believe someone is committing fraud in a nursing home, speak with our Medicare nursing home fraud whistleblower lawyers today to learn more about your options.
Hilcrest Residential ALF
It is unclear what will become of Charlemange’s assisted living facility, Hilcrest. The facility has 32 beds and a history of government citations for Florida assisted living facility negligence. In 2011, Florida state surveyors inspected the Hilcrest Assisted Living Facility and cited the ALF for bedbug infestation, dirty residents, underfed residents, failure to provide a sanitary and safe living environment and putting residents at risk for serious injury like resident falls and bedsores.
Searching for Answers Following an Assisted Living Injury or Wrongful Death
If you or a loved one suffered an injury inside Hilcrest ALF or any other Florida assisted living facility, demand answers. Speak with our assisted living facility abuse law firm today to begin your investigation into potential a potential elder abuse lawsuit.
