Valparaiso Woman Charged with Medicaid Fraud and Forgery
VALPARAISO — Paula L. Estes-Kidd, 52, of Valparaiso, has been charged with felony fraud and forgery after investigators with the Indiana Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit alleged she submitted false claims for in-home care services she did not perform.
According to court documents, between February 13 and February 28, 2025, Estes-Kidd electronically submitted 12 time sheets to her employer, ComForCare, indicating she provided Participant Assistance and Care (PAC) services to a Medicaid recipient. Investigators say GPS data, employment records, and health care logs confirmed that Estes-Kidd was working at another job or attending a personal telehealth appointment during the hours she claimed to be providing in-home services.
An affidavit states that Estes-Kidd received $664.50 from ComForCare based on the false entries and that the Indiana Medicaid program reimbursed the provider $1,351.84 for those same claims. Investigators also allege that Estes-Kidd forged another person’s signature on three wage and hour attestation forms tied to the fraudulent claims.
During an interview on June 10, 2025, Estes-Kidd admitted to being hired by ComForCare but denied wrongdoing. She later left a voicemail asking that the person contacted by Medicaid confirm she had worked during the disputed time period.
Estes-Kidd was formally charged on July 25, 2025, in Porter Superior Court with the following:
• Fraud – Level 6 Felony
• Forgery – Level 6 Felony
She was lodged in the Porter County Jail on July 29, 2025.
