Attorney General Kris Mayes has announced the conclusion of a criminal case involving Ariell Olivia Dix, who has been ordered by the court to pay $3,863,036.15 in restitution. Dix, 37, was convicted of Illegal Control of an Enterprise and sentenced to 3.5 years in prison in May 2024.
"Medicaid fraud steals from taxpayers and harms those who rely on critical health care services," stated Attorney General Kris Mayes. "This case sends a clear message: if you exploit public programs and vulnerable communities for personal gain, you will be held accountable."
The Attorney General’s Office informed the court that Dix moved from Nevada to the Phoenix-metro area with intentions to defraud the American Indian Health Program (AIHP) within Arizona's Medicaid Program (AHCCCS). Previously excluded from Nevada’s State Medicaid Program due to similar fraudulent activities, Dix established Behavioral Health Care Treatment facilities in Arizona. She engaged in corrupt billing practices aimed at maximizing illicit proceeds through extreme treatment hours billed across various dates and patients under AHCCCS. This scheme resulted in millions of taxpayer dollars being defrauded between 2019 and 2022.
In related news, Attorney General Mayes announced a grant program designed to assist Tribal nations affected by sober living home fraud.