SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — The owner and office manager of a Orlando school for special needs students are facing charges of making $4.6 million in fraudulent Medicaid claims.
Maria Navarro, the owner of Angels Center for Autism, and office manager Judith Bench are accused of making 21,000 fraudulent Medicaid claims.
The pair billed Medicaid for eight hours of one-on-one therapy for students, but only had enough staffing to provide two hours, investigators said.
New tonight, a neighbor at the school and friend of the owner says she thought the students were getting the right amount of therapy pic.twitter.com/MmJNVVBveT
— Ty Russell (@TRussellCBS4) February 8, 2017
Tonight at 11, how investigators say two women bilked the government of millions of dollars at a special needs school.
— Ty Russell (@TRussellCBS4) February 8, 2017
Students were also only in school for six hours a day, an arrest affidavit said.
Neighbor Joni Whitted said from the outside everything seemed fine at the school.
“They have a program where the kids actually learned the whole process of planting,” she said. “I am absolutely floored that this is happening. Actually, I just can’t believe it.”
According to investigators, Navarro and Bench spent the money on a combined 13 cars and properties in Orlando, Winter Park and Oviedo.
Both were being held at the Seminole County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bonds each.
They are scheduled to go in front of a judge Wednesday.
Cox Media Group
