November 20, 2025
(Anchorage, AK) – Today, Justice Burton, 24, pleaded guilty to one count of Attempted Medical Assistance Fraud for conduct that occurred between August 2024 and February 2025.
Burton was employed by Hearts and Hands of Care, where he was responsible for providing habilitative services to Medicaid recipients. In March 2025, a Care Coordinator alerted the employer after noting that Burton documented regular services which the Medicaid recipient stated were not being provided.
During an investigation conducted by the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU), Investigator Randy Mayer determined that Burton was submitting timesheets for day habilitative services that were not actually being provided to the Medicaid recipient. Between August 2024 and February 2025, Burton submitted 93 fraudulent claims containing 238 hours of services that were never provided, resulting in approximately $12,000 in improper Medicaid payments.
Burton was sentenced to jail time of 180 days with 150 days suspended, and informal probation for three years. As part of the plea agreement, Burton paid $12,000 in restitution to the Alaska Department of Health. Burton will also be excluded from the Medicaid Program for three years.
Assistant Attorney General Cynthia Cook prosecuted the case along with Paralegal Tracy Pabel.
CONTACT: Cynthia Cook, Assistant Attorney General, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit at (907) 269-6279.
*The Alaska MFCU is part of the Alaska Department of Law and is located in Anchorage. It is responsible for investigating and prosecuting Medicaid fraud, abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation of patients in any facility that accepts Medicaid funds. The unit is 75% federally funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $1,984,725.66 for FY 2025. The remaining 25%, totaling $661,575.22, is funded by the State of Alaska. Citizens with information about suspected medical assistance fraud, patient abuse or neglect are encouraged to use the Alaska MFCU online complaint form or to contact the unit at (907) 269-6279.
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Department Media Contacts: Communications Director Patty Sullivan at patty.sullivan@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6368. Information Officer Sam Curtis at sam.curtis@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6269.
