Attorney General Thurbert Baker announced today the successful prosecution of Dr. Cindy Gartmond for 10 misdemeanor counts of theft by taking arising out of a scheme to defraud the state’s Medicaid program. Gartmond was indicted for permitting a non-physician employee, Tammy Brooks, in her pediatrics practice to submit fraudulent billings to the state Medicaid program using Gartmond’s billing numbers. When Gartmond was paid by the state Medicaid program, she would then cut a check to Brooks for a percentage of the receipts. Brooks has previously pled guilty to Mediciad Fraud and received a sentence of 5 years imprisonment to be followed by 10 years on probation. Gartmond entered a guilty plea at her arraignment today and was sentenced to 10 years on probation plus she was ordered to pay: restitution to the Medicaid program in the amount of $303,560.00; investigative expenses of the Attorney General’s Healthcare Fraud unit in the amount of $10,000.00; and a fine of $5,000.00 to DeKalb County. Judge Michael Hancock sentenced Gartmond at today’s hearing in DeKalb Superior Court.

Assistant Attorney General Nancy Allstrom handled the prosecution for the Attorney General’s office. The case was investigated by Cynthia Wahl, Denise Gallo, Carmen Staley and Cynthia Vassell of the state Healthcare Fraud Control Unit.