Office of the
Illinois Attorney General
Kwame Raoul

Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced a suburban Chicago man pleaded guilty to defrauding the state out of over $15,000 in Medicaid funds.

Martece Darring, 40, of Lansing, Illinois, pleaded guilty in Cook County Circuit Court on Tuesday to one count of fraud, a Class 1 felony. The court ordered full restitution in the amount of $15,254 to be paid back to the state. Darring was also sentenced to second chance probation.

“Illinois’ Home Services Program provides critical support that allows people to remain in their homes,” Raoul said. “My office’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit is dedicated to rooting out fraud and holding accountable individuals who attempt to bilk the system by billing for services they are not providing.”

Darring was assigned to be a personal assistant to his aunt through the Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Rehabilitation Service’s Home Services Program. However, between March 2020 and June 2023, Darring submitted claims that overlapped with dates and times he was working for another entity and not providing in-home services. 

The case was investigated by Raoul’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) after receiving a referral from the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services – Office of the Inspector General (HFS-OIG).

“Protecting the integrity of the Medicaid program is vital, and this announcement underscores a commitment by Illinois to do so,” said HFS Inspector General Brian Dunn. “Thank you to the Attorney General and his team for working in partnership with our office to ensure justice is served and that Medicaid funding continues to support those in need.”

Raoul’s MFCU receives 75% of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $12,292,668 for the federal government’s 2027 fiscal year. The remaining 25%, totaling $4,097,556 for the federal government’s 2027 fiscal year, is funded by the state of Illinois.

Assistant Attorney General Dan Duffy prosecuted this case for Raoul’s MFCU.