Flossmoor Woman Convicted Of Identity Theft, Theft To Pay Back $200K

FLOSSMOOR, IL — A Flossmoor woman will have to pay hundreds of thousands in restitution and serve probation after she was convicted in 2018 of identity theft and other crimes

Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced Thursday that Santila Terry, 51, of Flossmoor, was sentenced to four years probation and ordered to pay $200,000 in restitution to the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services for fraudulently billing the state agency for speech therapy services that were never provided.

In 2017, DNAinfo Chicago reported that Terry owned a speech therapy clinic in Chicago's Beverly neighborhood. At the time, she was accused of using a former employee's Medicaid provider information to bill the state for more than $900,000 through her company, Special Therapy Care Chartered, the report said.

Terry was found guilty in December 2018 of identity theft, theft, theft by deception and vendor fraud.

"Millions of Illinois children, individuals with disabilities and working families rely on the Medicaid program to access needed health care services," Raoul said. "It is unconscionable an individual would knowingly defraud that program out of the vital and limited resources available to provide these services. I will continue to partner with law enforcement and state agencies to hold perpetrators of Medicaid fraud accountable."

The Attorney General’s office alleged in its initial indictment that Terry billed Medicaid through her business "Special Therapy Care Chartered" (STCC) for speech therapy services provided to children enrolled in the state’s Medicaid program. Using a former employee’s personal information and Medicaid provider identification number, Terry improperly billed the state more than $909,500 for therapy she falsely claimed the employee provided to children. Terry’s scheme began when the employee left STCC in 2011 and continued through 2014.

The case was investigated by the Illinois State Police Medicaid Fraud Control Bureau after receiving an allegation of fraud by the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services’ Office of the Inspector General.

"Medicaid funding is intended to help those in need, and ISP will continue to work with Attorney General Raoul’s Office to pursue those who commit fraud and steal taxpayer dollars for personal gain," said Illinois State Police Director Brendan F. Kelly.

Assistant Attorneys General Frederick H. Crystal and Robert Sparano handled the case for Raoul’s Medicaid Fraud Control Bureau.