Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr has emphasized the importance of holding accountable those who defraud Medicaid, describing such actions as “stealing taxpayer dollars.” His office is committed to ensuring violators face consequences.
“Defrauding Medicaid is the same as stealing taxpayer dollars, and we will hold violators accountable,” said General Chris Carr.
Carr announced that Elizabeth Sue Ivester from Warner Robins has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of health care fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft. She allegedly defrauded Georgia Medicaid of over $5.4 million between January 2016 and October 2021. According to the indictment, Ivester operated Liberty Medical, Inc., which purportedly supplied durable medical equipment (DME). Prosecutors allege she submitted numerous false claims for items like knee braces, back braces, and incontinence supplies that were neither ordered by physicians nor delivered to Medicaid recipients. These fraudulent claims resulted in significant improper payments by the Georgia Medicaid program.
According to Carr, these charges are part of a larger investigation under the U.S. Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action. This initiative targeted over 300 individuals nationwide accused of defrauding health care programs. Ivester is alleged to have obtained Medicaid recipients’ names and identification numbers through direct contact and used this information to submit fraudulent claims. The Georgia Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Division collaborated with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the FBI, and the Georgia Department of Community Health in investigating this case. If convicted, Ivester faces significant prison time and financial penalties.
“Prosecuting Medicaid fraud is a top priority for our office,” Carr said in a press release, adding that they are proud to work with federal partners in this effort.
Carr was appointed as Georgia’s attorney general by then-Governor Nathan Deal in 2016 and re-elected in November 2022. Since assuming office, he has focused on issues such as human trafficking, gang activity, and opioid misuse. His initiatives include establishing the state’s first Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit and Gang Prosecution Unit. Prior to his current role, Carr served as the Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development from November 2013 to November 2016.
