Attorney General Hanaway Obtains Medicaid Fraud Conviction Against Couple Lying About Marital Status To Steal Funds

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Today, Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway announced that her Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) obtained a Medicaid Fraud conviction against Tarron Boone, a Medicaid recipient, who along with Yvonne Davis-Boone, his wife and personal care attendant (PCA), knowingly and intentionally misrepresented and concealed their marital relationship in order to become enrolled in and get paid through the Missouri Medicaid Consumer Directed Services (CDS) program.

“Circumventing the rule of law to fill your own pockets with taxpayer dollars will never fly in Missouri,” said Attorney General Hanaway. “If this couple had followed the proper process, assistance would have been available without deception. We will hold accountable anyone scheming to illegally use Missouri Medicaid funds.”

Missouri Medicaid’s CDS Personal Care Assistance program allows eligible Medicaid recipients to hire a PCA to provide services for them in their home as an alternative to nursing facility placement. Tarron and Yvonne orchestrated a scheme to conceal and misrepresent their marital status and actual living situation to both MO HealthNet and Above & Beyond Health, LLC to defraud the CDS program.

A PCA cannot be paid CDS funds for providing care to his/her spouse, but had Tarron and Yvonne truthfully disclosed their marital status, Tarron would have remained eligible to receive separate in-home personal care services through the In-Home Services (IHS) program. Despite all the applications and forms that Tarron and Yvonne filled out that specifically state a spouse cannot provide CDS care to his/her spouse, the investigation found five instances where they misrepresented their marital relationship using titles such as “sister-in-law,” “cousin,” “cousin-in-law,” “close friend,” and “girlfriend.”

In total, through this scheme, Tarron and Yvonne collaborated to steal nearly $38,000 from Missouri Medicaid. Tarron pled guilty to one count of Healthcare Fraud in violation of 191.905.1 (Class D felony) and sentenced to be held joint and severally liable with Yvonne Davis-Boone for restitution of $37,789.33, and a civil penalty of $5,000.00, for a total of $42,789.34. Yvonne pled guilty to the same scheme on July 28, 2025.

The case was referred by the Department of Social Services, Missouri Medicaid Audit and Compliance (MMAC). The case was prosecuted by MFCU Chief Counsel and Assistant Attorney General Arvids Petersons and the investigation was conducted by Investigator Jacqueline Morrow-Kloeppel.

Medicaid Fraud Control Unit Chief Counsel Arvids V. Petersons said, “We remain committed to Missourians and to help ensure stolen Medicaid dollars are recovered. Holding these fraudsters accountable is about restoring the integrity of the entire system.”

About the Missouri Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit:
Medicaid Fraud Control Unit’s mission is twofold: first, to investigate and prosecute fraud committed by Medicaid providers who unlawfully divert taxpayer dollars, and second, to hold accountable those who commit abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation in Medicaid-funded facilities. This Unit demonstrates the Attorney General’s commitment to protecting vulnerable Missourians and safeguarding taxpayer dollars. The Office is proud to be home to some of the state’s most skilled prosecutors and investigators. Attorneys interested in joining this tradition of excellence and public service are encouraged to explore current opportunities at https://ago.mo.gov/about-us/job-opportunities/.

The Missouri Medicaid Fraud Control Unit receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $3,551,892.00 for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2026. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $1,183,960.00 for FY 2026, is funded by Missouri.