Germantown Caregiver Sentenced in Medicare Scheme Involving Toddler

An unlicensed nurse who was caring for a 1-year-old was sentenced for felony theft on Thursday, bringing closure to a case of mother-daughter Medicare fraud, Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler’s office announced Tuesday.

Gladys Muthoni Ngatia, 26, of Germantown, pleaded guilty to submitting false Medicaid claims for services that were supposed to be provided by her mother, a licensed nurse.

A nurse-staffing agency hired her mom, Hellen Ngatia, a licensed nurse, to care for the child in 2009, but Hellen Ngatia sent her daughter instead.

Medicaid was billed for nine months of nursing services and paid $41,258.56 for care that wasn’t provided by a proper nurse. The nurse staffing agency that hired Hellen Ngatia self-reported the incident and returned the money to Medicaid, according to the attorney general’s office.

A spokesman with the attorney general’s office was unable to comment on why the she sent her daughter to provide the services.

Ngatia was sentenced to 364 days incarceration, with all but 216 days suspended, and will be placed on five years' supervised probation. She can't provide services under the Medicaid program for five years and must also perform 100 hours community service.

The mother pleaded guilty last year to Medicaid fraud and conspiracy to commit Medicaid fraud and was sentenced to three years in the Division of Corrections, with all but 90 days suspended, plus three years' supervised probation. She was also and ordered to perform 150 hours community service.