Diana L. Van Etten, 34, of O’Fallon, was sentenced in federal court on October 5, 2012, for causing false claims for fraudulent prescriptions to be filed with Medicaid, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. Van Etten pleaded guilty to an Indictment charging her with Health Care Fraud in June 2012.
At the time of the offense, Van Etten was a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) in the State of Illinois. From around 2010, through January 12, 2012, Van Etten was employed as a nurse at Caseyville Nursing Home, in Caseyville, Illinois. While she worked at Caseyville Nursing Home, Van Etten would sign Hydrocodone out as if she were giving it to nursing home residents, but she would consume the Hydrocodone herself. She would fax false prescription requests for Hydrocodone to the pharmacy and would steal whole cards of Hydrocodone that were supposed to go to residents. Van Etten also diverted Hydrocodone for her personal use from numerous nursing home residents. In this way, Van Etten caused eleven false claims to be submitted to the Illinois Medicaid Program for fraudulent prescriptions.
Van Etten was sentenced to a two year term of probation, fined $25, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $101 and a $100 special assessment.
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