Avon Man Committed Massive Medicaid Fraud: Feds

AVON, CT — An Avon licensed professional counselor was arrested on accusations that he fraudulently billed Medicaid for services he never performed, according to a statement from federal prosecutors. Cortney Dunlap, 36, was charged with health care fraud and making false statements relating to health care matters.

He was released on $100,000 bond.

According to prosecutors, Dunlap committed fraud by filing Medicaid claims for psychotherapy sessions that were never provided.

Dunlap is accused of falsely billed Medicaid for having provided more than 24 hours of psychotherapy services on 67 different dates between Jan. 1 and April 4. He also billed Medicaid for having provided 60-minute psychotherapy sessions to each of 44 patients every day from Feb. 13 to March 19.

In addition, he billed Medicaid for providing psychotherapy services while he was on a cruise to the Bahamas in July 2019, according to the statement.

Prosecutors also allege that Dunlap billed Medicaid for fraudulent psychotherapy services for employees of Inspirational Care, Inc., a company Dunlap owns that has provided in-home and community-based services to individuals with disabilities.

Through Inspirational Care and a subsidiary, Dunlap has operated group homes in five locations in the state, including residences for women and children who may be victims of domestic abuse or violence.

Dunlap required residents of the group homes to provide copies of Medicaid identification cards for themselves and their children when they signed housing agreements. He then fraudulently billed Medicaid for psychotherapy services that were never provided to residents of two group homes in Hartford, according to the statement.