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Guilty plea in Medicaid fraud case that bilked the program out of more than $800,000

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A Clayton woman has pled guilty to Medicaid fraud, after the state attorney general said Lakia Washington fraudulently billed the program more than $800,000 for services she didn’t provide across various parts of eastern North Carolina.

A Clayton woman has pled guilty to Medicaid fraud, after the state attorney general said Lakia Washington fraudulently billed the program more than $800,000 for services she didn’t provide across various parts of eastern North Carolina.

Attorney General Josh Stein said Washington was a licensed mental health counselor since 2015 and owned L.W. Therapeutics & Consulting, LLC.

Stein said she paid a fee to get the names, dates of birth, and/or Medicaid beneficiary numbers of people on Medicaid and then submit fake claims for services she never provided.

Some of those fraudulent billings included billing Medicaid for more than 24 one-hour mental health appointments in a single day, billing Medicaid for in-person services provided in different parts of eastern North Carolina, and submitting claims for services provided to an unborn child.

Stein said she faces up to 10 years in prison and a potential fine.

Annette is an award-winning journalist based in Eastern North Carolina. Her career includes professional stops across the Midwest, Pacific Northwest, and Southeast, recently culminating in a 2026 Region 8 Edward R. Murrow Award for Small Market Radio Best News Series for her work on the Camp Lejeune Justice Act Series. Guided by a passion for human-interest storytelling, she focuses on narratives that touch hearts and connect communities. A mother of four and grandmother of two, Annette enjoys reading and creating epic Halloween costumes in her spare time. If you have a story idea to share, please reach out by email to westona@cravencc.edu.