SMYTH COUNTY, Va. (WJHL) — A woman from Marion has been found guilty on several charges for allegedly cheating the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services.

The Smyth County Commonwealth’s Attorney, Phillip Blevins, released news revealing Karen Michelle Brooks, 56, was found guilty of the following offenses:

• Felony Medicaid Fraud
• Felony Obtaining Money by False Pretenses
• Misdemeanor Identity Theft
• Misdemeanor Computer Fraud

According to prosecutors, Brooks, who once worked as a patient care technician for a disabled individual, submitted false reports about her working schedule. The release also indicates she “unlawfully accessed a colleague’s account to claim unworked hours.”

According to prosecutors, Brooks’s actions led to fraudulent payments and cost thousands of taxpayer dollars that were meant for proper and actual care of vulnerable Virginians.

Brooks was sentenced to 22 years in the Virginia Department of Corrections; however, the Smyth County Circuit Court suspended the sentence to adhere to the state’s guidelines. Instead, Brooks will be on probation without active incarceration due to her lack of a criminal history.

She was also ordered to repay $47,809.81 to the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services and barred from ever participating in Medicare or Medicaid healthcare programs, according to Blevins’s office.

“This case represents a disturbing betrayal of trust and a deliberate exploitation of a vulnerable adult for personal gain,” Blevins said in a statement. “My office takes this kind of abuse extremely seriously. We will continue to fight for justice on behalf of those who cannot always fight for themselves.”