Former inmate sentenced on fraud charges - KFVS12 News & Weather Cape Girardeau, Carbondale, Poplar Bluff

A Metropolis man was sentenced to serve jail time on Tuesday for fraud charges.

Prosecutors say Keith Foreman, 57, of Metropolis, was sentenced in the District Court in Benton, Illinois on one count of making false statements related to health care matters.

Foreman was sentenced to six months confinement in the Bureau of Prisons, three years of supervised release following his confinement, a special assessment of $100, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $496.65 to the State of Illinois and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Foreman previously pleaded guilty to defrauding the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) Home Services Program, a Medicaid Waiver Program designed to prevent the unnecessary institutionalization of individuals who may instead be satisfactorily maintained at home at a lesser cost to the State.

According to the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, Foreman, who was a beneficiary of the Medicaid Waiver program, admitted that he got out of jail for a one day furlough to meet with his case worker at his home outside of prison.

Prosecutors say it was so that he could continue receiving the Home Services Program benefits.

He returned to jail after being approved for the services. Medicaid continued pay for personal assistant services supposedly provided to Foreman by his girlfriend while Foreman remained in jail for several months.

The case was investigated by agents of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and the Illinois State Police, Medicaid Fraud Control Bureau (MFCB) located in DuQuoin and Collinsville. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Quinley.

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