Wichita man ordered to pay $14,000 in restitution for Medicaid fraud charge

(Source: Gray News)
Published: Jan. 30, 2023 at 5:22 PM CST
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WICHITA, Kan. (KCTV) - A Wichita man has been sentenced to repay the Kansas Medicaid system more than $14,000 for his conviction on two Medicaid fraud-related charges.

In December 2022, Johnson Kongvongsay pleaded guilty in Sedgwick County District Court to one felony count of making a false claims to the Medicaid program and one misdemeanor count of unlawful acts concerning computers. Sedgwick County District Judge Tylor Roush sentenced Johnson Kongvongsay to 18 months in jail on January 26. However, that sentence was suspended and Judge Roush ordered him to repay the Kansas Medicaid program $14,857.78 and serve 12 months of supervised probation, instead.

Kongvongsay’s daughter, Kyla Kongvongsay, 22, was also investigated and pleaded guilty to the same charges. Both father and daughter were personal care assistants for a relative who was a Medicaid beneficiary. Investigators found that the pair were submitting false claims, purporting to be providing personal care services to the relative when they were actually working other jobs. Investigators found that they committed almost $31,000 worth of fraudulent claims.

Retired Sedgwick County Judge Ben Burgess accepted Kyla’s plea to the two misdemeanors and sentenced Kyla to repay the Kansas Medicaid program $16,089.67 and to serve 12 months supervised probation.

The cases are part of “Operation Keeping Them Honest.” A cooperative effort between the attorney general’s office and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office. This sentencing brings to a close the latest case in this joint effort to crack down on those who take advantage of these federal- and state-administered healthcare programs.