Wisconsin Department of Justice
Press Release

Milwaukee Woman Charged for Allegedly Defrauding Wisconsin Medicaid of Nearly $2.2 Million, Illegally Obtaining Ppp Loan, and Money Laundering

 

By - May 6th, 2026 05:05 pm

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Justice on Tuesday filed criminal charges against Debbie Long, 44, of Milwaukee, for allegedly defrauding Wisconsin Medicaid of nearly $2.2 million, fraudulently obtaining a federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, and laundering the proceeds of her unlawful activities.

Long is further alleged to have used the proceeds from her alleged activities to purchase a restaurant, car, and car wash.

“Public benefit programs rely upon tax dollars to provide critical services,” said Attorney General Josh Kaul. “It is critical to protect the integrity of these programs.”

According to the criminal complaint, Long was an owner and the administrator of Pinnacle Home Health Care, LLC (Pinnacle). The State alleges that she defrauded Wisconsin Medicaid of almost $2.2 million by billing for personal care services which did not take place.

The State also alleges that Long fraudulently obtained a $219,072 PPP loan by inflating the size of Pinnacle’s workforce and payroll expenses.

Long allegedly used the proceeds from her unlawful activities to purchase a restaurant, Kitt’s Frozen Custard, a Mercedes Benz AMG S63, and an Octopus Car Wash. As for the purchase of the car and car wash, Long helped funnel her ill-gotten gains through several shell companies in a series of transactions designed to conceal the origin of the funds.

Long is being charged by the state with the following:

  • Count 1: Theft By Fraud Greater Than $100,000
  • Count 2: Fraud Against A Financial Institution Greater Than $100,000
  • Count 3: Wire Fraud Against A Financial Institution
  • Count 4: Money Laundering Greater Than $100,000
  • Count 5: Money Laundering Greater Than $100,000 Party To A Crime

These charges are merely accusations. As in any criminal case, the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

This investigation was led by the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ), Medicaid Fraud Control and Elder Abuse Unit and Division of Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the Greenfield Police Department. DOJ is prosecuting the case.

View a copy of the filed complaint.

The State of Wisconsin Medicaid Fraud Control and Elder Abuse Unit receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $1.95 million for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2026. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $650,000 for FY 2026, is funded by the State of Wisconsin.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.

Mentioned in This Press Release

Leave a Reply

You must be an Urban Milwaukee member to leave a comment. Membership, which includes a host of perks, including an ad-free website, tickets to marquee events like Summerfest, the Wisconsin State Fair and the Florentine Opera, a better photo browser and access to members-only, behind-the-scenes tours, starts at $9/month. Learn more.

Join now and cancel anytime.

If you are an existing member, sign-in to leave a comment.

Have questions? Need to report an error? Contact Us