On Tuesday, a former director of the Tuscola County Peer Center, Tanya Hobson, was sentenced to six months in jail by Judge Jason Bitzer at the 71B Judicial District Court in Caro. Hobson, 45, from Kingston, pleaded guilty in March to one count of Embezzlement-Agent or Trustee involving an amount between $200 and less than $1,000, according to an announcement by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel.
Hobson was also ordered to pay restitution amounting to $4,054.64 to the Tuscola County Peer Center, with $2,000 being paid at the time of sentencing. She served as the director of the center from May to December 2023. The center, which operates under the Tuscola Behavioral Health Systems, is largely funded by Medicaid and provides assistance to members receiving mental health services.
During her tenure, Hobson had responsibilities including scheduling outings, managing mail, securing grants, and handling payments for supplies. It was revealed that she embezzled over $1,000 from the center's funds for personal gains.
"Embezzling Medicaid funds can have a direct impact on the people who rely on the program for essential health care," Nessel stated at the time of the defendant's plea. "My office will continue investigating allegations of fraud and holding those who steal these funds accountable."
The case was managed by the Attorney General’s Health Care Fraud Division (HCFD), which serves as Michigan's federally certified Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The division's funding for the fiscal year 2025 comprises 75% from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services amounting to $5,703,460, with the remaining 25%, totaling $1,901,152, being state-funded.