Silver City, NM — New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez has initiated a comprehensive lawsuit against two operators of a nonprofit afterschool program in Silver City, claiming they defrauded Medicaid of over $1.6 million and misappropriated the identities of children under their care.
The lawsuit, brought forth by the New Mexico Department of Justice (NMDOJ) along with its Medicaid Fraud and Elder Abuse Bureau, accuses Susanne Kee and Bethanne Kee-Medran — the operators of Kids in Need of Support Services (KISS) — of filing fraudulent claims for behavioral health services that were never rendered and of incorrectly diagnosing children with psychological disorders to validate those claims.
In total, the two women are facing 91 charges related to fraud and identity theft. Kee is facing 10 counts of fraud and 36 counts of identity theft, while Kee-Medran is charged with 9 counts of fraud and 36 counts of identity theft.
As per the complaint, the defendants allegedly utilized the Social Security numbers and Medicaid identifiers of both children and adults without their consent, fabricating medical records that could haunt the victims for years, affecting their future job prospects or insurance eligibility.
“The defendants in this case have been taking advantage of a system meant to help those in need, stealing social security numbers of children in their care and fabricating psychological disorders,” said Attorney General Torrez. “We intend to hold these bad actors accountable and assist the victims and families harmed by this criminal enterprise.”
The legal action aims to secure restitution, civil penalties, and various damages, with criminal charges already lodged in Silver City Magistrate Court. Arraignment dates are expected to be set in the upcoming weeks.
Individuals impacted by this situation or those possessing further information are urged to reach out to the New Mexico Department of Justice.
