A former state employee has been indicted on charges she stole more than $100,000 in public funds.
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall on Thursday said 59-year-old Natalie Colette Lewis,of Montgomery, was indicted on multiple felony charges, including aggravated theft of property, use of office for personal gain, and violation of the Alabama Computer Crimes Act.
Lewis formerly worked at the Alabama Medicaid Agency.
She surrendered to the Montgomery County Detention Facility shortly before 12:30 p.m. Thursday and was released on a $30,000 bond.
Details surrounding the alleged theft have not yet been made public.
Marshall said the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit launched an investigation after the theft was discovered and reported by the Alabama Medicaid Agency.
“Public trust is the foundation of government service, and when a state employee abuses that trust for personal gain, it is a direct assault on the taxpayers of Alabama,” Marshall said in a press release.
“My office is committed to rooting out fraud and holding those who steal from the public accountable. This case serves as a stark reminder that no one is above the law.”
Aggravated theft of property is a felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison and a fine up to $60,000.
Use of office for personal gain is a Class B felony, punishable by two to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $30,000.
Violation of the Alabama Computer Crimes Act is a Class C felony, punishable by one to 10 years imprisonment and a fine up to $15,000.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Bruce Lieberman, Director of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit receives 75 percent of its funding—$1.2 million for Fiscal Year 2024—through an annual grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General.
