LITTLE ROCK – Attorney General Tim Griffin announced today that Mary Rhodes, 71, of Little Rock and Najee Rhodes, 28, of Maumelle have entered guilty pleas to misdemeanor charges of Medicaid fraud. The announcement follows the negotiated guilty pleas secured by the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit on May 28.
Griffin stated, “On May 28, my office’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit secured negotiated guilty pleas from a grandmother/granddaughter duo to Medicaid fraud for services never rendered. The granddaughter, Najee Rhodes, is a caregiver who billed the state Medicaid program for services she claimed to have performed for her grandmother, Mary Rhodes, but never rendered. Najee Rhodes then shared the money paid out by Medicaid with her grandmother.”
“Any Medicaid fraud is disturbing,” Griffin continued, “but seeing a grandmother and granddaughter working together to defraud taxpayers is disgusting. Fighting Medicaid fraud and protecting the tax dollars of hardworking Arkansans are duties I am proud to perform as Attorney General. I congratulate Assistant Attorney General Gabby Davis-Jones for securing this conviction and thank Sixth Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney Will Jones’ office for its assistance.”
Following their pleas, both Mary and Najee Rhodes were sentenced to one year in jail (suspended), fined $200 plus court costs, and ordered to pay restitution amounting to $2,857.90 to the state Medicaid Program.
Attorney General Tim Griffin was sworn in as the 57th Attorney General of Arkansas on January 10, 2023. His prior roles include serving as the state’s 20th Lieutenant Governor from 2015-2023 and representing Arkansas’s Second Congressional District from 2011-2015. Griffin has also held various positions within the U.S. Army Reserve Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps for over 27 years and currently holds the rank of colonel.
Griffin's previous assignments include serving as Commander of several Legal Operations Detachments within the U.S. Army Reserve and holding advisory roles at the Pentagon. He earned his master’s degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College.
In addition to his military service, Griffin has served as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas and held multiple roles within federal agencies under President George W. Bush’s administration.
Griffin resides in Little Rock with his wife Elizabeth and their three children.
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