Tekiyah McLeod, 34, of Magnolia, Texas, has admitted billing Medicaid about $477,872 for mental health therapy that was never provided. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas says in its Oct. 2 announcement that McLeod pleaded guilty to health care fraud and aggravated identity theft, and that Medicaid paid her about $453,323. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 16.

What she admitted

McLeod was the registered agent for nLove Community Services LLC, which presented itself as a provider of mental health therapy to Medicaid beneficiaries. She admitted that the claims she sent in were for therapy that never took place. According to the office, some of the services were supposedly provided to McLeod herself.

The identity theft count comes from how the claims were submitted. McLeod admitted using a nurse practitioner’s name and National Provider Identifier, the number that identifies a licensed provider on a claim, without the practitioner’s knowledge or consent. U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison accepted the plea. The release does not give the date she entered it.

No patient is described as harmed or billed in the release, and the office does not say whether real Medicaid members’ records were used. Medicaid is the health program funded by federal and state governments, and the money in this case came from that program, not from patients.

The next date in Tekiyah McLeod’s case is her Dec. 16 sentencing, and the court sets it, not the prosecutors.

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Sentencing set for Dec. 16

A guilty plea is an admission of the charges, not a sentence. No prison term, fine or repayment order has been imposed on McLeod yet, and none will be until Judge Ellison holds the Dec. 16 hearing. Until then she remains on bond, and the legal limits described below are ceilings, not findings.

The difference between billed and paid

Two numbers appear in the announcement, and they are not the same. The $477,872 is the amount McLeod billed Medicaid. The $453,323 is what she received. The gap, about $24,549, is billing that was not paid out. Prosecutors do not say why.

The smaller figure is the better measure of the loss to the program, because it is the money that actually left. The release does not state a restitution amount, and the court has not ruled on one.

What she could face

For health care fraud, McLeod faces up to 10 years in federal prison. The aggravated identity theft count carries a mandatory two-year sentence that must run consecutively, meaning it is added on top of any term for the fraud. The maximum fine is $250,000. Those are the legal limits the office listed, not a prediction of the sentence, and Judge Ellison will set the actual term.

McLeod remains on bond until sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Alum is prosecuting. U.S. Attorney Aaron Reitz said her conduct is “despicable” and that she will have time to dwell on it while in prison for “ripping off the American taxpayer.”

Agencies on the case

The FBI investigated, with help from the Texas Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Virginia Office of the Attorney General Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The release also places the case under the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division, created April 7, which supports the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance.

The announcement does not say how the scheme was found, how long it ran or whether other providers are involved. Those details may come out at sentencing.

Spotting therapy that was never given

A mental health visit leaves a trace for the person who attended: a date, a provider and a memory of the appointment. A statement or notice that lists therapy a member does not recall is the sign worth acting on. Writing down the date, the provider’s name and the service listed gives a report something firm to stand on.

The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General takes tips on Medicaid and Medicare fraud at oig.hhs.gov. Reports can be made online or by phone at 1-800-HHS-TIPS. The office asks for the name and contact details of the person or business involved, a description of what happened and when, how the reporter learned of it, and copies of supporting emails, documents, billing records or photos.

The office also warns that not every complaint leads to an investigation and that it cannot contact every complainant. Someone who wants a refund or benefits fixed should pursue other administrative or legal remedies, because the inspector general rarely steps into personal disputes. For a Medicaid member, that usually means a call to the state Medicaid agency or the health plan on the card.

McLeod’s sentencing on Dec. 16 is the next public step.

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This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.