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31 January 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A Wichita daddy-daughter duo has been sentenced to pay over $30,000 in restitution for Medicaid fraud-related charges.
According to Attorney General Kris Kobach, in December 2022, Johnson Kongvongsay pleaded guilty to one felony count of making a false claim, statement or representation to the Medicaid program and one misdemeanor count of unlawful acts concerning computers.
Kongvongsay was originally sentenced to 18 months in jail, but that sentence was suspended. The AG says Kongvongsay has since been ordered to repay the Kansas Medicaid program $14,857.78 and serve 12 months of supervised probation.
According to Attorney General Kris Kobach, in December 2022, Kyla Kongvongsay pleaded guilty to one felony count of making a false claim, statement or representation to the Medicaid program and one misdemeanor count of unlawful acts concerning computers.
Retired Sedgwick County Judge Ben Burgess accepted the plea to the two misdemeanors and sentenced Kyla Kongvongsay to repay the Kansas Medicaid program $16,089.67. He also sentenced her to serve 12 months of supervised probation.
The AG says an investigation revealed Kongvongsay and his daughter, Kyla Kongvongsay, were working as personal care assistants for a relative who was a Medicaid beneficiary. Investigators found that the father and daughter were submitting false claims, purporting to be providing personal care services to the relative when they were actually working other jobs. Investigators found that they committed $30,947.45 worth of fraud.
Senior Assistant Attorney General Eve Kemple of Kobach’s office prosecuted the cases against Johnson Kongvongsay and Kyla Kongvongsay.
“The cases are part of “Operation Keeping Them Honest,” a cooperative effort between the attorney general’s office and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/Office of Inspector General to investigate fraudulent billing to Medicaid for personal care services provided in Medicaid beneficiaries’ homes,” the Office of the Attorney General said. “This sentencing brings to a close the latest case in this joint effort to crack down on those who take advantage of these federal- and state-administered healthcare programs. To date, nine cases have been filed with the court and six have reached the sentencing phase.”
Other investigations are ongoing.
The cases are being jointly investigated by federal and state authorities and prosecuted by the attorney general’s Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Division.