Many people know that Commissioner Rodney “Rodent” Ellis has built quite the campaign donation warchest. Though, today I discovered a large donation from a donor in Georgia totalling $3,500. The donors name, Dietrich Bankhead, and upon a quick internet search I discovered that Mr. Bankhead’s wife Diandra had been indicted and sentenced to 5 years in prison for defrauding a medicaid program in the amount of $1 million.
Diandra Bankhead committed the worst type of medicaid fraud, she committed pediatric medicaid fraud. Mrs. Bankhead was the owner of “Elite Homecare” and profited off children who suffered from significant physical and cognitive disabilities. For years Bankhead’s scheme exploited Medicaid-eligible children and their families by billing for services never performed and for children never seen, diverting critical resources from those who needed them most.
“Bankhead’s greed-fueled scheme, designed to enrich herself, came at the expense of disabled children and taxpayers. Instead she faces years of imprisonment – a fate awaiting those stealing Medicaid funds,” said Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge for the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Working closely with our State and Federal law enforcement partners we will bring to justice those who illegally drain this vital program.”
"Bankhead’s lack of concern for the needs of fragile children to profit rather than care for them is very troubling, and now she must pay the price for her greed,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Not only did she deny care to children in need, she also stole taxpayer dollars from a Medicaid program that should have gone to those who need them.”
Bankhead, 43, of Atlanta, Georgia was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr. to five years and three months in federal prison, and three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $999,999, in restitution. On August 28, 2019, Bankhead pleaded guilty to a criminal information pursuant to a written plea agreement charging her with one count of health care fraud.
It appears as though Rodent Ellis is in good company with these criminals, I wonder how he came to meet the Bankheads?
Is this the councilman who spent all that money storing his friends African art