A former employee of the Alabama Medicaid Agency has pleaded guilty to theft-related charges after stealing more than $100,000 in public funds, Attorney General Steve Marshall said.
Natalie Colette Lewis, 60, of Montgomery, pleaded guilty to aggravated theft of property, he said. Sentencing is set for Oct. 2 before Circuit Judge Brooke Reid, court records show. Lewis faces up to 30 years in prison, a $60,000 fine and forfeiture of her state retirement benefits, Marshall said.
Lewis had been employed as a medical care benefits specialist assigned to the Medicaid Agency’s Non-Emergency Transportation Division since 2006, the AG's office said in a release.
While employed at the agency, Lewis was responsible for processing claims to reimburse Medicaid recipients for expenses incurred for their travel to medical visits. From December 2019 to November 2024, Lewis entered 1,631 claims for transportation expenses on behalf of her son, a Medicaid recipient, for medical appointments that never took place. In total, Lewis received $103,413.26 for these fraudulent claims and spent the money on personal expenditures, Marshall said.
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“Public service is a responsibility, not a personal financial opportunity. When employees violate that duty for personal gain, it is a direct assault on the taxpayers of Alabama,” said Marshall. “We will continue to hold anyone accountable who defrauds the system, exploits taxpayer resources, or undermines the integrity of public trust.”
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This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Former Alabama Medicaid employee pleads guilty in $100K theft
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