Fresno County employee indicted for health care fraud

Christina Hernandez, 39, of Las Vegas, pleaded not guilty to an 11-count indictment in federal court on Monday, charged with stealing over $98,000 through health care fraud and embezzlement.

According to court documents, Hernandez was a provider relations specialist at the Fresno County Department of Behavioral Health, which administers mental health services to the county’s Medi-Cal beneficiaries.

The indictment alleges that Hernandez submitted false claim forms for medical services that never happened, and cashed the reimbursement checks herself. She also is charged with stealing reimbursement checks that the county issued to doctors for actual services provided.

In total, Hernandez allegedly stole $98,560 from the Fresno County Department of Behavioral Health.

If convicted, Hernandez faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

This story was originally published May 16, 2016 at 11:33 PM with the headline "Fresno County employee indicted for health care fraud."