HARTFORD, Conn. — A Hartford Superior Court jury found Karen Gaston, 43, of East Granby, guilty on Sept. 26 of first-degree larceny by defrauding a public community, and health insurance fraud, according to a release from the state’s Division of Criminal Justice.
Evidence introduced at trial noted that Gaston, who used to go by the name Lapienski, served as the CEO of Elegant Clinical Corporation, a vocational program for disabled adults, formerly based in East Windsor.
Prosecutors say Medicaid was falsely billed for $52,648 in fraudulent billings for nine individuals. Gaston was originally charged in September 2020.
The state says that Gaston billed Medicaid for services that were not provided and that evidence revealed numerous conflicting claims in which the client was being treated elsewhere or was otherwise absent on dates billed by Elegant Clinical.
Prosecutors also note that most of the services billed by Elegant Clinical were supported by erroneous or blank documentation.
Gaston is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 25 in Hartford Superior Court.
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The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit in the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney prosecuted the case.
The unit says it is grateful for assistance from the state Department of Social Services – Office of Quality Assurance, the state Department of Developmental Services, and the Connecticut Attorney General’s Office.
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Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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