TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit announced the arrest of a Duval County resident for exploitation of a disabled adult. Warrenrina La’Tara Henderson, 42, is the owner of Paradise Retreat Assisted Living Facility and allegedly used the victim’s Social Security funds for personal purposes.
According to the MFCU investigation, when the victim arrived at the defendant’s assisted living facility, Henderson established a custodial bank account and deposited more than $20,000 in funds paid to the victim from the Social Security Administration. Henderson allegedly spent some of the victim’s Social Security funds at a restaurant, health club and beauty supply store, but took most of the money using cash withdrawals and transferring the funds into a personal account. Even after the victim left the facility, Henderson allegedly continued to deplete the victim’s funds from the account, leaving the account with a zero balance.
Henderson faces one count of exploitation of a disabled adult, a second-degree felony. If convicted, Henderson faces up to 15 years in prison, fines and restitution. Attorney General Bondi’s Office will prosecute this case through an agreement with the State Attorney’s Office for the Fourth Judicial Circuit.
The Florida Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigates allegations of patient abuse, neglect and exploitation in facilities receiving payments under the Medicaid program. Additionally, the MFCU investigates and prosecutes providers that intentionally defraud the state’s Medicaid program through fraudulent billing practices. Medicaid fraud essentially steals from Florida’s taxpayers. From Jan. 2011 to the present, Attorney General Bondi’s MFCU has obtained more than $689 million in settlements and judgments. In 2017, the MFCU was awarded the Inspector General’s Award for Excellence in Fighting Fraud, Waste and Abuse. This award is presented annually to the nation’s top MFCU by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.
