SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, July 19, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — A women entrusted with the funds of 76 vulnerable adults has been sentenced to up to 30 years in prison for stealing more than half a million from them.
Janine McCauley was sentenced in 3rd District Court to two consecutive prison terms of one to fifteen years for financially exploiting 76 vulnerable individuals, the Utah Attorney General’s Office announced Thursday. She was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $566,699.02.
“The Medicaid Fraud and Patient Abuse Division led by Director Kaye Lynn Wootton is remarkable at finding and prosecuting the bad actors who have targeted individuals due to their life circumstances,” Attorney General Sean Reyes said. “We will continue to do all we can to protect those among us who cannot defend themselves.”
McCauley was charged in February 2023. Owner and operator of Simplified Business Solutions, she was entrusted to serve as a fiduciary for all 76 vulnerable victims, according to a press release. As such, she was responsible for managing money, serving as Representative Payee for those receiving Social Security income, and utilizing the funds to pay rent, utilities, bills, and personal necessities for the vulnerable individuals.
“Instead, McCauley commingled assets and used the funds for her own benefit and for the benefit of people other than the vulnerable individuals.
“Additionally, McCauley received Utah Medicaid funding for Personal Budget Assistance, a program that compensates fiduciaries for managing the personal finances of individuals in need, but then failed to comply with these responsibilities, leaving the vulnerable individuals in debt and unable to meet their own financial needs.”
She was taken into custody at the conclusion of her sentencing hearing Tuesday to begin her sentence at the Utah State Prison, according to the AG’s office.
McCauley pleaded guilty to five counts of Unlawful Dealing of Property by a Fiduciary, in violation of Utah Code 76-6-513(2), and one count of Pattern of Unlawful Activity, in violation of Utah Code 76-10-1602(4). All counts were second-degree felonies.
The Medicaid Fraud and Patient Abuse Division of the Utah Attorney General’s Office receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $3,571,340 for federal fiscal year 2024. The State of Utah funds the remaining 25 percent.
