SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — More than two dozen Illinois residents have been charged with health care fraud stemming from federal investigations.

U.S. attorneys James Lewis of the central district of Illinois and Stephen Wigginton of the southern district announced the charges Thursday against 29 people who allegedly abused a health care program funded by Medicaid.

The program pays for personal assistants to help Medicaid recipients stay in their homes. The defendants allegedly submitted false claims for hours worked when they had other full-time jobs or were incarcerated or the client was hospitalized.

Lewis announced that 13 defendants were issued summonses to appear in federal court in June. Two others have agreed to plead guilty. Wigginton says his office indicted 14 following previous charges against 29 others.
Health care fraud carries a 10-year prison sentence.

(Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)