On May 5, the Wisconsin Department of Justice filed criminal charges against Debbie Long, 44, of Milwaukee, for allegedly defrauding Wisconsin Medicaid of nearly $2.2 million, fraudulently obtaining a federal Paycheck Protection Program loan, and laundering the proceeds of her unlawful activities.
Long is further alleged to have used the proceeds from her alleged activities to purchase a restaurant, car, and car wash.
“Public benefit programs rely upon tax dollars to provide critical services,” said Attorney General Josh Kaul. “It is critical to protect the integrity of these programs.”
According to the criminal complaint, Long was an owner and the administrator of Pinnacle Home Health Care, LLC. The state alleges that she defrauded Wisconsin Medicaid of almost $2.2 million by billing for personal care services that did not take place.
The state also alleges that Long fraudulently obtained a $219,072 PPP loan by inflating the size of Pinnacle’s workforce and payroll expenses.
Long allegedly used the proceeds from her unlawful activities to purchase a restaurant, Kitt’s Frozen Custard, a Mercedes Benz AMG S63, and an Octopus Car Wash. As for the purchase of the car and car wash, Long helped funnel her ill-gotten gains through several shell companies in a series of transactions designed to conceal the origin of the funds.
Long is being charged by the state with the following:
Count 1: Theft by fraud greater than $100,000.
Count 2: Fraud against a financial institution greater than $100,000.
Count 3: Wire fraud against a financial institution.
Count 4: Money laundering greater than $100,000.
Count 5: Money laundering greater than $100,000 party to a crime.
These charges are merely accusations. As in any criminal case, the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This investigation was led by the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Medicaid Fraud Control and Elder Abuse Unit and Division of Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the Greenfield Police Department. DOJ is prosecuting the case.
View a copy of the filed complaint.
The State of Wisconsin Medicaid Fraud Control and Elder Abuse Unit receives 75% of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $1.95 million for federal fiscal year 2026. The remaining 25%, totaling $650,000 for fiscal year 2026, is funded by the State of Wisconsin.
