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Written by: A. Smith
Published January 22, 2026 @ 10:45 AM ET
HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. – A middle Georgia woman has been sentenced to prison after investigators say she carried out a multimillion-dollar Medicaid fraud scheme that exploited thousands of patients’ identities.
Elizabeth Sue Ivester, 63, of Warner Robins, was convicted of one count of health care fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft after an investigation by the Georgia Attorney General’s Office uncovered more than $5.4 million in fraudulent claims submitted to Georgia Medicaid.
According to investigators, Ivester submitted 77,095 false reimbursement claims for durable medical equipment that was never ordered, provided or dispensed. Prosecutors said the claims were filed under the name of a company and falsely used the identification numbers of 7,684 Medicaid recipients. Authorities also said Ivester misrepresented the identity of a prescribing physician in the scheme.
“This was a massive scheme to defraud not only Georgia taxpayers but real patients in need of care,” Attorney General Chris Carr said in a statement. “It’s unacceptable, it’s illegal, and it won’t be tolerated in our state.”
The Attorney General’s Office said the fraudulent claims totaled $5,437,283.26 in Medicaid funds.
Ivester was sentenced to 10 years in prison, with seven years to serve behind bars and the remaining three years on strict probation. In addition to her prison sentence, she was ordered to pay full restitution in the amount of $5,437,283.26.
Warner Robins is located in Houston County. Prosecutors did not disclose how long the scheme lasted or whether additional individuals were involved. The case was prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Division.