West Memphis, Arkansas –
A West Memphis woman has been convicted of Medicaid fraud after investigators determined she billed the state program for services that were never provided. Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin announced the conviction of Kimberly Rios, 40, who was found guilty of one count of Medicaid fraud, a Class B felony.
According to state officials, the conviction came earlier this week following an investigation that uncovered fraudulent billing practices tied to in-home care services.
Rios was sentenced to five years of probation as part of the court’s decision. In addition to the probation term, she was ordered to pay a $500 fine along with court fees. The court also required her to pay restitution totaling $11,317.25.
Authorities say the case involved false claims submitted to Medicaid for personal care services that were never actually performed.
Attorney General Griffin addressed the outcome of the case in a statement.
“Kimberly Rios was found guilty of felony Medicaid fraud earlier this week. She was sentenced to a five-year term of probation, a $500 fine plus court fees, and restitution totaling $11,317.25. Rios submitted claims for in-home personal care services that were not provided as reported. Records indicate Rios was not at or even near the clients’ residences at the times she claimed to have provided services. She improperly billed Medicaid for the services she never provided.
“Those who attempt to cheat Medicaid for personal gain will be prosecuted and held accountable. I commend the exceptional work done on this case by Special Agent Laura Glover and Senior Assistant Attorney General Leigh Patterson. I am also grateful for the assistance of Sixth Judicial District Prosecutor Will Jones in this case.”
Investigation Into Fraudulent Billing
According to officials, investigators reviewed records connected to the billing activity and discovered inconsistencies between the services reported and the actual locations of the defendant at the time the services were supposedly provided.
Authorities said documentation showed that Rios had claimed to provide in-home personal care assistance to clients. However, records revealed she was not at the clients’ residences when those services were reported to have taken place.
As a result, prosecutors determined that the Medicaid program had been improperly billed for services that were never delivered.
The investigation was carried out by the Arkansas Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, which focuses on identifying and prosecuting fraud connected to the state’s Medicaid system.
Officials say the unit operates with funding support from both federal and state sources. The Arkansas MFCU receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant totaling $4,781,516 for the Federal fiscal year 2026, with $3,586,140 provided by federal funds.
The remaining 25 percent of the unit’s funding, totaling $1,195,376 for the State fiscal year 2026, comes from Arkansas General Revenue.
State officials say cases like this are part of ongoing efforts to protect public health programs from fraud and ensure that taxpayer-funded services are used properly.
