State worker steal $1 million to fund gambling

Posted: Friday, 10 October 2014

 

State worker admits still [sic] million to fund gambling

WWL.com Reporting

A former Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals worker pleaded guilty to stealing over $1 million dollars from the state to fund her gambling addiction.

State Inspector General Stephen Street says 47-year-old Deborah Loper was accused of misappropriating Medicaid over payments.

"And she diverted over a million dollars worth of those into an account that she personally controlled," said Street. "Then she essentially stole the money."

Under terms of Loper's plea agreement, she'll serve five years in prison, five years probation and she must pay $1,018,423 dollars to the state in restitution. Street says Loper had been entrusted to manage a bank account for DHH.

"It would be fair to say that her position was to protect tax payer dollars rather than take them for her own personal use," said Street.

Street says they determined through an investigation, when Loper was arrested in 2013, that the money had been all gambled away.

"Some of the area casinos had been visited and this is all just extremely unfortunate," Street said.

http://www.wwl.com/State-worker-admits-stealing-1-million-to-fund-gam/20086961