HARRISBURG, PA — A former office manager at a Montgomery County home care agency has been sentenced to prison for her role in a sprawling Medicaid fraud scheme that siphoned nearly $1.76 million from a program designed to serve some of Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable residents.
Attorney General Dave Sunday announced that Barbara Thomas, 46, of ComfortZone Home Health Care, was sentenced this week in Montgomery County Court to 9 to 23 months in state prison, followed by four years of probation, after pleading guilty to felony counts of Medicaid fraud, theft by deception, and corrupt organizations.
Thomas was also ordered to pay $1.39 million in restitution, jointly and severally with her co-defendants, to help recover losses tied to the scheme.
Investigators said Thomas served as both office manager and case manager for ComfortZone between 2020 and 2023, a period when the agency repeatedly submitted claims to Medicaid for personal care services that were never performed. Authorities said she was deeply involved in the day-to-day operations of the business and knowingly helped advance fraudulent billing practices that generated millions in improper payments.
“This defendant had her hands in the day-to-day operations and was integrally involved in the advancement of a multi-year scheme that stole from taxpayers and defrauded a system designed to help vulnerable Pennsylvanians,” Sunday said. “Our Medicaid Fraud Control Section is a national leader in enforcing laws designed to cut down on fraud and abuse of the system, and we take great pride in that work.”
The charges stem from a two-year joint investigation by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Section and the FBI, supported by a presentment from the Fiftieth Statewide Investigating Grand Jury.
Prosecutors said the scheme was orchestrated by ComfortZone owner Stephanie Mobley, whose company was an approved Medicaid provider authorized to deliver personal assistance services. Mobley and 20 other alleged co-conspirators were charged with submitting false claims for care that was never provided.
To date, 18 people involved in the conspiracy have pleaded guilty, including Mobley, who is awaiting sentencing. Cases against three remaining defendants are still pending.
The prosecutions are being handled by Senior Deputy Attorney General Benjamin McKenna. Under the law, all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
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