An Anchorage husband and wife have been sentenced for endangering the welfare of an adult, after billing Medicaid for care they didn't provide to a diabetic man who later had two of his toes amputated.
According to a Thursday statement from Attorney General Michael Geraghty's office, Maurice Marulanda, 37, and Sandy Marulanda, 36, were each convicted in state District Court of a single welfare-endangerment count, with Maurice Marulanda also convicted of medical assistance fraud.
"Adult Protective Services employees with the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services became aware that the Medicaid recipient was not receiving care after the recipient's apartment manager called authorities due to the unsanitary conditions of the recipient's apartment and his personal hygiene," prosecutors wrote.
Although the Marulandas were supposed to be providing home-based health care services for the man, DHSS found that that wasn't happening when investigators were assigned to the case.
"Instead of caring for the recipient, the Marulandas simply handed the recipient their timesheets through his apartment window for him to sign in order to verify that services were being provided," prosecutors wrote. "The Marulandas then submitted these timesheets to Medicaid for payment. The Medicaid recipient ultimately went to the hospital and suffered the loss of two toes due to his diabetes and poor physical condition."
Sandy Marulanda received a suspended sentence Wednesday of 60 days in jail. She will also have to pay a $1,000 fine and work 40 hours of community service. Maurice Marulanda was sentenced March 13 to 180 days of suspended jail and 180 hours of community work service, with a $2,000 fine.
"Both defendants were placed on probation for a period of five years, permanently barred from billing Medicaid and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $4,017.48," prosecutors wrote.
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