The Attorney General’s Office announced that Mark Lacomb, 39, of Rutland, Vermont, was arraigned on May 16, 2022, on six felony charges of Financial Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult and one felony charge of Uttering a Forged or Counterfeit Instrument. The charges brought against Mr. Lacomb are the result of an investigation conducted by the office’s Medicaid Fraud and Residential Abuse Unit.
The State of Vermont has charged Mr. Lacomb with exploiting over $13,000 from five individuals over the course of approximately a year. Mr. Lacomb was employed as a case manager supporting vulnerable adults at a residential program under Choices for Care, a Medicaid-funded program that pays for care and support for older Vermonters and people with physical disabilities. Mr. Lacomb also worked as a Licensed Nursing Assistant in a nursing home.
Mr. Lacomb pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in Vermont Superior Court, Rutland Criminal Division. The Court, Judge David Fenster presiding, released Mr. Lacomb on conditions, which include a prohibition on providing care or working with any vulnerable adults.
Financial Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult carries a maximum penalty of not more than ten years imprisonment and/or a fine of not more than $10,000.00. Uttering a Forged or Counterfeit Instrument carries a maximum penalty of up to ten years imprisonment and/or a fine of not more than $1,000.
The Attorney General’s Office emphasizes that individuals charged with a crime are legally presumed innocent until their guilt is proven beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The Medicaid Fraud and Residential Abuse Unit receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $1,057,724 for Federal fiscal year FY 2022. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $352,575 for FY 2022, is funded by the State of Vermont.
Contact: Lauren Jandl, Chief of Staff, 802-828-3171