From Tribune Staff Reports,
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Attorney General Steve Marshall announced that a former Alabama Medicaid Agency employee has been convicted of stealing more than $100,000 in public funds.
Natalie Colette Lewis, 60, of Montgomery, pleaded guilty to Aggravated Theft of Property before Montgomery County Circuit Judge Brooke Reid. Her sentencing is scheduled for October 2. Lewis faces up to 30 years in prison, a $60,000 fine, and the forfeiture of her state retirement benefits.
Lewis began working for the Medicaid Agency in 2006 as a Medical Care Benefits Specialist in the Non-Emergency Transportation Division. According to investigators, Lewis had three prior felony convictions when she applied for the state job but concealed them on her application by stating she had no prior record. She later received a restoration of rights pardon in 2017.
While employed at the agency, Lewis was responsible for processing claims to reimburse Medicaid recipients for travel to medical visits. Between December 2019 and November 2024, prosecutors say she entered 1,631 fraudulent claims on behalf of her son, a Medicaid recipient, for appointments that never occurred. In total, Lewis received $103,413.26, which she used for personal expenses.
“Public service is a responsibility, not a personal financial opportunity,” Attorney General Marshall said in a statement. “When employees violate that duty for personal gain, it is a direct assault on the taxpayers of Alabama. We will continue to hold anyone accountable who defrauds the system, exploits taxpayer resources, or undermines the integrity of public trust.”
The theft was discovered by the Medicaid Agency and reported to the Attorney General’s Office. The case was investigated by the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Nathan Mays.
