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Hampton man headed to prison for using disabled son in Medicaid fraud scheme

Maurice Moody was sentenced to four years Wednesday while the mother of the boy, Dena Major, awaits sentencing.

NORFOLK, Va. — A Hampton man will spend the next four years in prison for defrauding the feds. They say he used his disabled son to pocket more than $100,000 through Medicaid.

Prosecutors said on two occasions, he even did it while in jail.

It's a case that dates back to 2012 with extensive documentation. The US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia said Maurice Moody and Dena Major used their severely disabled, non-verbal son to fill their bank accounts with government money.

From 2019: Hampton couple accused of defrauding Medicaid

Eligible patients, like this boy, can get an hourly in-home care worker paid for by Medicaid. The government specifically states, though, that person cannot be a parent.

But the couple listed Moody as the care worker, and according to court documents, they tried to claim he was the child's uncle.

Between 2012 and 2016, they collected just over $108,000 in fraudulent reimbursements.

Moody said he worked hours when he was actually out of the state, and at two different times, he was behind bars.

We also know the disabled child was removed from the home entirely at one point for possible abuse.

Investigators said Moody and Major then tried to use another child as a stand-in for the boy, so they could still collect money.

On Wednesday, Moody was sentenced to four years in jail.

Major's case is still waiting for sentencing.

RELATED: Virginia moves to drop work requirement for Medicaid

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