Agents arrest Chalmette woman accused of Medicaid fraud, AG says

BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — A Chalmette woman accused of Medicaid fraud has been arrested, according to the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office.

Melissa Araujo, 46, was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison Wednesday on a charge of government benefits fraud.

An investigation by the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation started on Sept. 23, 2024, regarding allegations of Medicaid fraud. An affidavit states an anonymous complaint was submitted on Feb. 19, 2024, alleging Araujo misrepresented her income to qualify for benefits.

An investigation found that $55,024.90 of benefits were disbursed to Araujo by the Louisiana Department of Health and Managed Care Organizations, and 13 businesses registered in her name in the Louisiana Secretary of State’s business registry. Agents also discovered over 1,000 deposits totaling over $3.1 million between August 2020 and September 2022.

Inconsistencies were found between her statements to the health department and her social media activity regarding her claims of unemployment. An affidavit shows that multiple contradictions were found during the investigation.

“Throughout 2022, Melissa Araujo acquired three properties worth $785,000 while declaring an income below the poverty threshold for Medicaid eligibility. This raised significant questions about her financial disclosures and compliance,” the affidavit states.

The attorney general’s office said an investigation is ongoing.

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