Nc woman pleads guilty to medicaid fraud in sc

NC woman pleads guilty to Medicaid fraud in SC

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced that Bethena Jackson, 57 years old, of Burlington, NC, pleaded guilty in Richland County General Sessions Court on September 21, 2021. Jackson pleaded guilty to Obtaining Signature or Property under False Pretenses, value $10,000 or more in violation of SC Code §16-13-240. Jackson was sentenced to seven years in prison, the balance of which was suspended to five years of probation with $24,273.55 ordered in restitution to the South Carolina Medicaid Program.

The S.C. Department of Health and Human Services referred this case to the S.C. Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud Control Unit for criminal investigation and prosecution. Jackson was the co-owner of New Outlook Second Chance (NOSC), which operated as a Behavioral Health provider, providing counseling services to adults and children. NOSC had offices in Columbia and Sumter. The investigation revealed that Jackson, along with co-owner Pearl L. Griffin and several NOSC employees, conspired to create and then submitted fraudulent documentation in order to bill S.C. Medicaid for services that NOSC did not provide between October 2014 and December of 2015. Griffin was previously convicted on August 30, 2021, also in Richland County General Sessions Court.

The South Carolina MFCU receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $1,478,492 for Federal fiscal year 2021. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $492,826 for FY 2021, is funded by South Carolina.

Shore News Network

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.