Shakopee prison inmate charged with theft by swindle

A Shakopee prison inmate has been charged with multiple counts of theft by swindle for allegedly billing the state Medical Assistance program for fraudulent home nursing care.

Barbara Ann Currin and six associates are accused of billing the state for hundreds of thousands of dollars in home care services that allegedly were never provided.

Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson said the case is troubling because Currin had previously pleaded guilty to Medical Assistance fraud in 2010 and had been banned from participating in the program.

Swanson says she was surprised to find that Currin was allegedly involved in Medicaid fraud again.

"It's very, very troubling that this would come before us again. Sometimes people get in trouble, they commit crimes and learn from the experience," Swanson said. "In this case, the person engaged in very egregious behavior before and obviously did not learn from the experience."

Currin is currently being held at the Shakopee Prison for a parole violation from her previous conviction.

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