BALTIMORE — On Friday, Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh announced that 54-year-old Celeste Bland-Guary, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty to one count of felony Medical Fraud for submitting false claims to the Maryland Medical Assistance Program (Medicaid).
Bland-Guary, who's a licensed clinical social worker, operated a private mental health practice in Baltimore City, which is where she provided services to Medicaid recipients.
From April 2015 through October 2018, Bland-Guary submitted false claims to Medicaid and was reimbursed for services that she did not provide.
During the investigation, Bland-Guary produced falsified documentation, including session notes and sign-in sheets.
Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa K. Copeland sentenced Bland-Guary to a six-month suspended sentence and placed her on five years of supervised probation. Bland-Guary was also ordered to pay $81,794.04 in restitution to Medicaid.
In addition to the above requirements, Bland-Guary must also withdraw as a Medicaid provider and not reapply for five years and she is also prohibited from working for any provider in a federally-funded health care program for five years.
