Updated
Updated · WILX · Jun 23
Michigan Charges 4 in Medicaid Fraud Case Tied to $234,000 Autism Funds
Updated
Updated · WILX · Jun 23

Michigan Charges 4 in Medicaid Fraud Case Tied to $234,000 Autism Funds

3 articles · Updated · WILX · Jun 23

Summary

  • Four Michigan residents were charged in a DOJ healthcare fraud takedown, with cases alleging false Medicaid billing, unprovided care and diverted public funds.
  • Kurt Hammond, 56, a former Lansing pharmacist, allegedly billed Medicaid for female condoms Central Pharmacy never bought while working there from 2020 to 2024.
  • Wayne White, 63, faces three larceny-by-conversion counts after prosecutors said he improperly received more than $234,000 meant for autism services between August 2024 and April 2025.
  • Claudia Payne, 47, and John Kempainen, 43, were separately accused of billing Medicaid for caregiving they did not provide, including one vulnerable adult allegedly left without care for at least four months in 2026.
  • All four cases are being prosecuted by Attorney General Dana Nessel's Health Care Fraud Division as part of the Justice Department's national enforcement sweep.

Insights

As AI hunts for healthcare fraud, could innocent providers and patients become unintended targets?
Why is the booming field of autism therapy a new hotspot for multi-million dollar fraud schemes?
With billions lost to fraud, how much stolen taxpayer money does the government actually get back?