Agents with Attorney General Murrill's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit secures guilty plea for Alexandria man who forcefully pushed and shoved a disabled person multiple times.

On April 16, 22-year-old Dwane Jones, of Calca Blvd. in Alexandria, pled guilty as charged in the 9th JDC in Rapides Parish to:

• 1 count - Simple Battery of Persons with Infirmities, in violation of La. R.S. 14:35.2

While working at St. Mary’s Residential Training School in Boyce, Jones was observed on video on four separate occasions over one day forcefully pushing and shoving a resident who is disabled. He was arrested on July 16, 2025 for this incident.

The Court deferred sentencing under art. 894 and placed Jones on 1 year unsupervised probation with the following conditions: pay court costs, fine, and $500 cost of investigation. Defendant is excluded from working at any facility that accepts Medicaid or Medicare for a period of 5 years, in accordance with 42 USC 1320a-7(a)1.

Our Medicaid Fraud Control Unit asked that the court order community service if Jones would not be incarcerated, but Judge Williams denied the state’s request, despite his saying that he found the state’s request reasonable.

This arrest and conviction resulted from an investigation by the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit with the LA Department of Justice.

The Louisiana MFCU receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $10,000,340 for Federal fiscal year (FY) 25/26. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $3,333,443 for FY 25/26, is funded by Louisiana.