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John Durham the United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced on Wednesday that Windsor resident Beverly Coker, 70, who ran New Beginnings Family Center, a behavioral health practice in Hartford, has been sentenced to five years probation after she pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud for her role in the scheme.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in May 2010, while operating the Family Center, Bristol resident Ronnette Brown and another approached Coker with a collaboration, under which, Brown would provide services to children and families through We-MPACT, a social services practice they operated in Bristol. Coker was to provide supervision to Brown, who were not licensed to provide psychotherapy, but “understood that they were working toward becoming licensed.”
Ultimately, Coker never provided supervision to the two, but submitted claims to Medicaid for psychotherapy services provided to We-MPACT’s clients. Coker ended her relationship with We-MPACT in November 2011.
In total, Coker and Brown defrauded Medicaid of approximately $214,555. On April 8, 2016, Coker pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud. Brown was found guilty last May of 23 counts of health care fraud and was sentenced to 48 months in prison on April 19. She must also pay restitution in the amount of $2,033,962.
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