Two North Carolina sisters who operated a Medicaid-funded mental health services provider have been sentenced to federal prison after being convicted of making false statements connected to mental health services billed to Medicaid.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced on June 5, 2026, that Chenelle Wright, 45, and Chaniece Winfield, 40, both of Moyock, North Carolina, were sentenced for their roles in a scheme that involved falsifying records related to therapeutic services provided to children.
Wright received a prison sentence of three years and five months, while Winfield was sentenced to two years in federal prison.
According to federal court documents, Wright owned and operated Community Counseling Resources (CCR), a behavioral health provider with locations in Chesapeake and Portsmouth, Virginia. Winfield served as the organization's clinical director.
CCR was approved to provide after-school mental health services to Medicaid recipients through a program known as Therapeutic Day Treatment (TDT). The program is designed to help children and adolescents experiencing emotional, behavioral, or mental health challenges that significantly affect their daily functioning.
Federal prosecutors said the sisters directed employees to create inaccurate documentation that overstated the amount of therapeutic services children received.
Investigators found that most children enrolled in the after-school TDT program were not released from school until well after 2 p.m. Some students remained in school until as late as 3:55 p.m., and many did not arrive at CCR facilities until approximately 4:30 p.m.
Despite these schedules, employees were instructed to document that children received therapeutic services continuously from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Evidence presented in court showed that Wright and Winfield instructed and directed CCR employees to use progress notes that falsely reflected service hours.
Authorities said employees were provided with documentation templates in which the start and end times, 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. had already been pre-filled. Staff members were expected to use these records even when the children had not yet arrived at the facility.
Prosecutors argued that the inaccurate records created the appearance that children received substantially more therapeutic services than they actually did, allowing Medicaid claims to be submitted based on false information.
The Therapeutic Day Treatment program is intended to provide individualized interventions for children and adolescents living with mental, emotional, or behavioral illnesses. These services are often delivered in structured settings and are designed to help young patients manage symptoms that interfere with school performance, relationships, and daily life.
Because Medicaid reimburses providers based on documented services, accurate recordkeeping is a critical requirement. Federal authorities alleged that the falsified documentation undermined the integrity of the Medicaid program and resulted in claims that did not accurately reflect services delivered.
The case was investigated by the FBI's Norfolk Field Office and the Office of the Attorney General of Virginia.
The prosecution was led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony C. Mozzi and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nikolas Nelson.
The criminal proceedings were filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia under Case No. 2:24-cr-35.
As healthcare oversight efforts continue, federal officials have signaled that fraud involving mental health programs and services for children remains an enforcement priority.
Reference:
1. U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Virginia. “Medicaid Service Providers Sentenced for False Statements Resulting in Overbilling.” United States Department of Justice, June 5, 2026. Accessed June 11, 2026.
