Netflix actress, model plead guilty to $3.4M Medicaid fraud scheme

Two women from Philadelphia—an actress and a model—have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, admitting they stole $3.4 million from Medicaid meant to be used to secure housing for the homeless.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Candice Langley, a professional model, and Cynthia Allen, who had a role in the Netflix movie “Concrete Cowboy,” crossed state lines to conduct their scheme, traveling all the way from the City of Brotherly Love to Minnesota, where they set up a housing services company.

The company, which prosecutors said was established for the sole purpose of making the duo money through fraud, was ideally supposed to use Medicaid funds to subsidize the rental costs faced by individuals who struggled with housing stability.

From there, the two admitted to falsifying records, billing the federal government for services they never delivered. Meanwhile, they siphoned millions of dollars, pocketing the money for themselves.

The homeless individuals wrapped up in the scheme were said to have had Medicaid claims submitted in their name, never to see a dime of the benefits in many cases.

A third alleged accomplice indicted alongside Langley and Allen is Deborah Hodges, though she pleaded not guilty in federal court on Wednesday. The fraud charges against Hodges will now head to trial.

All three were charged as part of a larger federal investigation into systemic fraud within the Minnesota Housing Stabilization Services program, largely a result of companies like the one run by Langley and Allen popping up to rake in Medicaid funds meant for vulnerable people.

A date for their sentencing has yet to be set, but Langley and Allen could face up to 56 months in federal prison, in addition to millions of dollars in fines.