Editor’s note: This story by Derek Carson was first published in the Bennington Banner on Dec. 28.
BENNINGTON — A Bennington family has been convicted of multiple felonies arising out of what police call a scheme to defraud Vermont Medicaid.
Patrick Morse, 64, Ellie May Morse, 43, and Donald Morse, 23, of Bennington, Vermont, were convicted in Vermont Superior Court, Windsor Criminal Division, of multiple felony counts of Medicaid Fraud, stemming from fraudulent claims worth more than $100,000 submitted over a period of five years to the Vermont Medicaid Children’s Personal Care Services (“PCS”) Program.
According to the attorney general’s office, Patrick Morse was convicted on nine counts, Ellie May Morse was convicted on six counts, and Donald Morse was convicted on three counts. All three had entered guilty pleas to the charges.
For five years, Patrick and Ellie May Morse submitted claims for payments from the PCS program for services rendered to three individuals. They hired Donald, another family member, and an acquaintance to provide these services. According to the attorney general’s office, however, these services were frequently not rendered. Patrick and Ellie May falsified timesheets and submitted to the PCS for reimbursement, knowing that the services had not been rendered.
In many cases, the other family member and the acquaintance, who are not named in the release, were not aware that reimbursement requests were being submitted in their names. All of the checks were mailed to Patrick and Ellie May, who deposited them for their own benefit. David Morse was convicted as he had knowledge of his parents’ activities.
According to police, Patrick Morse was sentenced on December 20, 2016 to two to six years of imprisonment. Ellie May Morse was sentenced on June 29, 2016, to a suspended sentence of one to three years, and placed on three years of probation with the special condition that she complete 200 hours of community service. She was also ordered to pay $28,747 in restitution to the Vermont Medicaid Program. Donald Morse was sentenced on September 6, 2016, to a suspended sentence of one to two years and placed on two years of probation with the special condition that he completed 100 hours of community service. Donald was also ordered to pay $9,329 in restitution to Vermont Medicaid. The Court will determine the amount of restitution to be paid by Patrick Morse at a later hearing.
The Morses will also be excluded from any federally funded healthcare programs for five years.
Donald Morse has been accused of burglary twice in the past, first in November of 2011, when he was located behind the deli counter of Henry’s Market in Bennington with with 59 packs of cigarettes, 15 cans of chewing tobacco, eight butane lighters, a 12-pack of beer, and $184 in coins and cash and was taken into custody.
In July of 2012 he was arrested again, this time for allegedly stealing cash and a shotgun from a Fillmore Street home.
