The Attorney General’s Office dubs her the “Medicaid Millionaire.” 35-year-old Candace Taylor of Slidell is facing charges for allegedly collecting government benefits, despite being very well-off financially. Investigators say Taylor intentionally misspelled her name as she applied for benefits, alleging that she was earning just $2,000 a month. Attorney General Liz Murrill says Taylor’s investigators found that Taylor actually owns many businesses that generate millions of dollars in revenue, and they found her purchases rather peculiar.
“She went so far as to buy a Lamborghini and an Audi and obtain plastic surgery, all while she was claiming that she had no money,” Murrill said.
Murrill says cases like this are why Louisiana is very diligent in investigating Medicaid fraud.
“We’re not allowed to use federal money to investigate recipient fraud, and so we devote state resources to doing that because it is still stealing from the program,” Murrill explained.
Murrill says the money that Taylor was collecting in Medicaid benefits could have gone to someone else who could have used that money, so Medicaid fraud is not a victimless crime.
“These are individuals who are not eligible for this program. They are filing false documents claiming that they are, and then they are stealing those benefits,” Murrill noted.
Taylor’s new digs aren’t nearly as luxurious as the ones she’s accustomed to; she’s booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison.
