Bloomfield Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Health Care Fraud
Tuesday, February 10, 2026 - David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that SHAWN TYSON, 55, of Bloomfield, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 12 months and one day of imprisonment, and three years of supervised release, for health care fraud.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Tyson was a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor (LADC) with an office located at 330 Main Street in Hartford. From November 2019 to April 2023, Tyson and Thelma “Wendy” Epps, who had been suspended as a provider by the Connecticut Medicaid program (“Medicaid”) in 2018, defrauded Medicaid by submitting fraudulent claims for psychotherapy counseling sessions that were not provided by Tyson or Epps. In addition, Tyson and Epps agreed to submit claims to Medicaid under Tyson’s unique Medicaid provider number for services purportedly provided by Epps that falsely represented that Tyson had personally provided the services to Medicaid patients.
In order to conceal the fraud scheme, in October and November 2022, Tyson provided fraudulent patient records in response to an audit of his claims performed by the Medicaid program.
Judge Dooley ordered Tyson to pay restitution of $670,960.72, portions of which are owed jointly and severally by Epps and another licensed counselor involved in the scheme, Dennis Tomczak.
Tyson pleaded guilty on June 21, 2024. Released on a $15,000 bond, he is required to report to prison on April 10.
This investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Connecticut Department of Social Services. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Sheldon.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Connecticut Chief State’s Attorney’s Office, and Connecticut Attorney General’s Office meet regularly as part of The Medicaid Fraud Working Group. The Working Group also includes representatives from the Connecticut Department of Social Services; the Connecticut Department of Public Health; the Drug Control Division of the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection; the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the FBI. The Working Group reviews pending issues and cases, identifies trends that might indicate fraudulent activity, and coordinates efforts for maximum results.
People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.
Source: U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Connecticut
