Personal care assistant accused in Medicaid fraud case

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A 37-year-old Meridian woman is free on bond after being charged with Medicaid fraud by a Rankin County grand jury.

Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood, in a news release Wednesday, said Shanika Keys surrendered to authorities Monday, was processed into the Rankin County jail and released after posting $5,000 bond.

The indictment accuses Keys of submitting false claims for services that were never rendered for a Medicaid recipient, while she was employed as a personal care assistant for a healthcare agency in Flowood.

If convicted, Keys faces up to five years in prison and a $50,000 fine. It was unknown if Keys is represented by an attorney.