North Little Rock, Arkansas – A North Little Rock woman has been sentenced after admitting to Medicaid fraud for billing the government for speech therapy services that prosecutors said were never performed.
Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin announced that Sarah Childers, 42, pleaded guilty on July 23 to one count of Medicaid Fraud, a Class C felony.
According to state officials, Childers worked as a speech therapist responsible for providing therapy services to students at area schools. However, investigators found that she failed to report to the schools while still submitting Medicaid claims for services that were never delivered.
As part of her sentence, Childers received five years of probation. She was also ordered to pay $13,494.30 in restitution, along with a $3,500 fine and additional court costs.
Investigation uncovered fraudulent Medicaid billing
Authorities said the case centered on fraudulent Medicaid claims submitted for speech therapy sessions that never took place.
Rather than providing the services she was assigned to perform, Childers billed Medicaid as though the work had been completed, resulting in payments for treatment that students never received.
Attorney General Griffin said Medicaid fraud affects not only taxpayers but also the many people who depend on the public health care program. “Those who defraud Medicaid will be held accountable because every fraudulent claim diverts taxpayer dollars from a program that countless Arkansans rely on. I applaud the exceptional work done on this case by Special Agent Marcus Custer and Senior Assistant Attorney General Leigh Patterson of my Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU). I am also grateful for the assistance of Sixth Judicial Prosecuting Attorney Will Jones in this case.”
Griffin credited Special Agent Marcus Custer and Senior Assistant Attorney General Leigh Patterson, both members of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU), for their work investigating and prosecuting the case. He also thanked Sixth Judicial Prosecuting Attorney Will Jones for assisting in the prosecution.
The Arkansas Medicaid Fraud Control Unit receives most of its financial support through federal funding. For Federal Fiscal Year 2026, the unit receives a grant totaling $4,781,516 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, with 75%, or $3,586,140, provided by the federal government. The remaining 25%, totaling $1,195,376 for State Fiscal Year 2026, is funded through Arkansas General Revenue.
State officials said the conviction reflects Arkansas’ continued efforts to investigate Medicaid fraud and protect taxpayer dollars intended for legitimate health care services for residents who rely on the program.
