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VietnameseGriffin: ‘My office remains committed to pursuing those who commit Medicaid fraud and exploit Arkansans’
LITTLE ROCK – Attorney General Tim Griffin today issued the following statement announcing two convictions and one arrest by his office’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit:
“On July 24, David Pelto, 44, formerly of Fayetteville, was arrested on one count of exploitation of a vulnerable person, a Class B felony, and theft of property, a Class C felony. Pelto served as a co-guardian for the victim and is accused of stealing the victim’s money, personal property, and silver-coin collection.
“On August 4, Carmelita McCullum, 44, of Jonesboro pleaded guilty to one charge of Medicaid fraud, a Class A felony. She was sentenced to a six-year term of probation, ordered to pay a $500 fine and court costs, ordered to pay restitution of $17,902.56 to the Arkansas Medicaid Program, and sentenced to 120 days of suspended jail time. McCullum billed Medicaid for personal-care services that she never provided to her clients.
“On August 12, Tiernan Hoyle, 32, of Judsonia, pleaded guilty to one charge of abuse of an endangered or impaired person (exploitation), a Class C felony. She was sentenced to 55 days in jail, 72 months of probation, 40 hours of community service, and ordered to pay a $2,500 fine plus court costs. Hoyle was employed as a caregiver with Ozark Adult Personal Care, where she provided services to the victim. Hoyle used the victim’s debit card to make unauthorized personal purchases, resulting in overdraft fees and a total loss of $577.96. Before this case was filed, Ozark Adult Personal Care took steps to assist the victim in recovering the full amount.
“My office remains committed to pursuing those who commit Medicaid fraud and exploit Arkansans. These convictions and recent arrest highlight our dedication to holding bad actors accountable—and our work is far from over. I commend the exceptional work of our Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) for their continued effort in protecting Arkansans. And I especially thank Senior Assistant Attorney General Leigh Patterson, Assistant Attorney General David Jones, Special Agent Rhonda Swindle, Special Agent Laura Glover, Assistant Attorney General Gabrielle Davis-Jones, all from my office, as well as Prosecuting Attorney for the Sixth Judicial District of Arkansas Will Jones, Prosecuting Attorney for the Fourth Judicial District of Arkansas Brandon Carter, and Prosecuting Attorney for the Seventeenth Judicial District of Arkansas Rebecca Reed McCoy.”
The Arkansas MFCU receives 75% of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant totaling $4,685,736 for the Federal fiscal year 2025, of which $3,514,304 is federally funded. The remaining 25%, totaling $1,171,432 for State Fiscal Year 2025, is funded by Arkansas General Revenue.
To download a PDF copy of this release, click here.
About Attorney General Tim Griffin
Tim Griffin was sworn in as the 57th Attorney General of Arkansas on January 10, 2023, having previously served as the state’s 20th Lieutenant Governor from 2015-2023. From 2011-2015, Griffin served as the 24th representative of Arkansas’s Second Congressional District, where he served on the House Committee on Ways and Means, House Armed Services Committee, House Committee on Foreign Affairs, House Committee on Ethics and House Committee on the Judiciary while also serving as a Deputy Whip for the Majority.
Griffin is currently an officer in the Arkansas Army National Guard and holds the rank of colonel. Griffin served as an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps for more than 28 years. In 2005, Griffin was mobilized to active duty as an Army prosecutor at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and served with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) in Mosul, Iraq.
His previous assignments include serving as the Commander of the 2d Legal Operations Detachment in New Orleans, Louisiana; the Commander of the 134th Legal Operations Detachment at Fort Bragg, North Carolina; and as a Senior Legislative Advisor to the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness at the Pentagon. Griffin earned a master’s degree in strategic studies as a Distinguished Honor Graduate from the U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania.
Griffin also served as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, and Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Political Affairs for President George W. Bush; Special Assistant to Assistant Attorney General Michael Chertoff, Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice; Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Arkansas; Senior Investigative Counsel, Government Reform and Oversight Committee, U.S. House of Representatives; and Associate Independent Counsel, Office of Independent Counsel David M. Barrett, In re: HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros.
Griffin is a graduate of Magnolia High School, Hendrix College in Conway, and Tulane Law School in New Orleans. He attended graduate school at Oxford University. He is admitted to practice law in Arkansas (active) and Louisiana (inactive). Griffin lives in Little Rock with his wife, Elizabeth, a Camden native, and their three children.
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