Woman Convicted of Six Felonies for Financially Exploiting Vulnerable Individuals

SALT LAKE CITY‒On Tuesday, Janine McCauley was sentenced to two consecutive prison terms of one to fifteen years in the Third District Court for financially exploiting 76 vulnerable individuals. McCauley was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $566,699.02 and taken into custody at the conclusion of the hearing to begin her sentence at the Utah State Prison.

"Protecting our state's most vulnerable is one of our office's greatest priorities," said Attorney General Sean D. Reyes. "The Medicaid Fraud and Patient Abuse Division led by Director Wootton is remarkable at finding and prosecuting the bad actors who have targeted individuals due to their life circumstances. We will continue to do all we can to protect those among us who cannot defend themselves."

"The exploitation of our most vulnerable citizens is antithetical to everything our state stands for," said Director Kaye Lynn Wootton. "Stopping abuse like this is central to our office's mission and we are grateful for the cooperation of our partners in law enforcement for helping bring this case to justice."

The Medicaid Fraud and Patient Abuse Division of the Utah Attorney General's Office filed charges against McCauley in February 2023. McCauley pleaded guilty to five counts of Unlawful Dealing of Property by a Fiduciary, in violation of Utah Code §76-6-513(2), and one count of Pattern of Unlawful Activity, in violation of Utah Code §76-10-1602(4)(hh). All counts were second-degree felonies.

McCauley, owner and operator of Simplified Business Solutions, was entrusted to serve as a fiduciary for all 76 vulnerable victims. As such, she was responsible for managing money, serving as Representative Payee for those receiving Social Security income, and utilizing the funds to pay rent, utilities, bills, and personal necessities for the vulnerable individuals. Instead, McCauley comingled assets and used the funds for her own benefit and for the benefit of people other than the vulnerable individuals. Additionally, McCauley received Utah Medicaid funding for Personal Budget Assistance, a program that compensates fiduciaries for managing the personal finances of individuals in need, but then failed to comply with these responsibilities, leaving the vulnerable individuals in debt and unable to meet their own financial needs.

The Medicaid Fraud and Patient Abuse Division of the Attorney General's Office is steadfastly committed to protecting the state's most vulnerable individuals from abuse, neglect, and exploitation and to holding perpetrators accountable. Support from State and Federal partners made this conviction possible.

The Medicaid Fraud and Patient Abuse Division of the Utah Attorney General's Office receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $3,571,340 for federal fiscal year 2024. The State of Utah funds the remaining 25 percent.