Office of the
Illinois Attorney General
Kwame Raoul

Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced a Chicago man pleaded guilty for stealing nearly $10,000 from the state of Illinois for services not provided. This case is part of coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in charges against 455 defendants across the country, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in healthcare fraud and opioid abuse schemes involving over $6.5 billion in false claims and significant patient harm.  

Daquawn Bernard, 29, pleaded guilty in Cook County Circuit Court to a Class 2 felony count of theft of government property. Bernard was ordered to pay $9,000 in restitution and sentenced to second chance probation. 

“Illinois’ Medicaid program is a lifeline for thousands of Illinoisans, and it is inexcusable that someone would take advantage of the program for personal gain,” Raoul said. “These services are intended for our most vulnerable residents, and we will continue to seek to hold individuals who abuse the program accountable.”  

Raoul’s office alleges that between May 2021 and August 2022, Bernard billed the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) for providing hours of home-based services for a Medicaid recipient, which he did not perform because the Medicaid recipient was a patient at a hospital or long-term care facility at the time. The loss amount was nearly $10,000. 

Raoul’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) investigated and is prosecuting this case, following a referral by the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services Office of Inspector General (HFS-OIG).  

“In-home care is a critical Medicaid service for many in our State,” said HFS Inspector General Brian Dunn. “As this case demonstrates, we will pursue those who fraudulently divert funds from this essential program.” 

Raoul’s MFCU receives 75% of its funding from the U.S.  Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $12,292,668 for the federal government’s 2027 fiscal year. The remaining 25%, totaling $4,097,556 for the federal government’s 2027 fiscal year, is funded by the state of Illinois. 

Assistant Attorney General Mary Pat Devereux prosecuted the case for Raoul’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.