MFCU Announces Arrest of Woman for Exploiting Disabled Adults

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit today announced the arrest of a former group home employee on charges related to the exploitation of several of the home’s residents. Charges resulting from the MFCU investigation into allegations at the Thomas House include exploitation, credit card fraud and identity theft of disabled adults.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “Many Floridians live in group homes and they deserve to feel safe and secure in those facilities. It’s extremely upsetting that anyone would use their position of employment at a group home to exploit residents depending on them for their care. Today’s arrest should remind criminals that my Medicaid Fraud Control Unit will continue to investigate and bring to justice anyone trying to exploit Florida’s Medicaid program and its recipients.”

According to the investigation, Sharria Galloway, a former employee at Thomas House, used two residents’ debit cards to pay her own car loan payments. Galloway also used a cash app to transfer funds totaling more than $2,000 from residents’ bank accounts to her own from Feb. 5 through Feb. 20.

To view the redacted PCA, click here.

Galloway faces two felony counts of exploitation of a disabled adult; three felony counts of criminal use of personal identification information and two felony counts of fraudulent use of credit card, more than two times in a six-month period, committed within Leon County. All third-degree felonies are punishable up to 35 years in prison. The Attorney General’s MFCU will prosecute the case through an agreement with the Office of the State Attorney, Jack Campbell, in the Second Judicial Circuit.
 
The Florida Medicaid Fraud Control Unit is funded through a grant totaling $26,329,510 for Federal Fiscal Year 2021, from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. The Federal Share of these funds is 75% totaling $19,747,136. The State Matching Share of these funds is 25% totaling $6,582,374, and is funded by Florida.