The Attorney General’s Office announced that Amy Trela, 48, of Winooski, Vermont, and Alicia Russell, 29, of Essex, Vermont, were both arraigned today as co-defendants, each charged with one count of felony Medicaid Fraud. The charges brought against Ms. Trela and Ms. Russell are the result of an investigation conducted by the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud and Residential Abuse Unit (MFRAU), which found that the defendants falsely certified Medicaid timesheets, defrauding Vermont Medicaid of over $62,000 in public health care funds since 2019.
Ms. Trela and Ms. Russell both pleaded not guilty at their arraignment today in Vermont Superior Court, Chittenden Unit, Criminal Division. The Court, Judge Michael J. Harris presiding, ordered conditions of release requiring the defendants to maintain contact with the Court and counsel and attend all further proceedings.
If you suspect someone of abusing the Vermont Medicaid program, please contact Vermont Adult Protective Services by calling 800-564-1612 and MFRAU at https://ago.vermont.gov/medicaid-fraud-report-form.
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.
MFRAU receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $1,229,616 for Federal fiscal year 2024. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $409,870 for FFY 2024, is funded by the State of Vermont.
CONTACT: Lauren Jandl, Chief of Staff, 802-828-3171