Drew Dixon
An Escambia County woman has been arrested on charges related to exploiting the elderly.
The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit for Attorney General James Uthmeier’s Office this month took Akimmia Lewis into custody on allegations she was exploiting a senior citizen. Uthmeier’s Office says the man was receiving elderly care services from Lewis.
The investigation by Uthmeier’s Office alleges that Lewis held power of attorney over the elderly man and used that authority to illegally withdraw funds from his bank account over about a half year, between August 2022 and February 2023.
Lewis is accused of transferring $46,788.60 into her own banking accounts. After the funds were transferred, she allegedly proceeded to make multiple cash withdrawals she used to spend on herself.
The elderly man was a patient who resided in a Panhandle nursing home for the period that Lewis was allegedly pilfering the money.
“We will not tolerate those who take advantage of vulnerable Floridians for personal gain,” Uthmeier said in a news release. “Our office will continue to aggressively pursue criminals who abuse positions of trust and exploit the elderly.”
Uthmeier’s Office charged Lewis with exploitation of an elderly person or disabled adult under $50,000. The state statute applies to anyone who knowingly obtains an elderly person’s funds for exploitation of an elderly person or disabled adult who “stands in a position of trust and confidence with the elderly person or disabled adults or has a business relationship with the elderly person or disabled adult.”
The charge is a second-degree felony. If Lewis is found guilty, she could be sentenced to prison. The maximum penalty would be 15 years. The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit for the Attorney General’s Office will prosecute the case. The unit reached an agreement to prosecute the case with Florida’s First Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office.
2 comments
MarvinM
July 21, 2025 at 5:15 pm
I’m very happy the AG has filed these charges and I am happy that there is a Medicaid Fraud Control Unit that did the work to get evidence that can lead to a successful prosecution of the fraudster.
Before too many other people comment here, please make sure you have read the article, and that you understand that the person on Medicaid was the victim of this crime, not the perpetrator of it.
Sadly, it’s likely the recent budget bill passed, with all its Medicaid cuts, will make it harder for the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the AG to be able to go after fraudsters of this nature and bring them to justice.
FL Guy
July 21, 2025 at 5:51 pm
This guy is patrolling Medicaid fraud? Has he looked in a mirror? Where’s the $10 million he stole from Medicaid?