Former Pittsburgh entrepreneur sentenced to prison time for defrauding government

PITTSBURGH — Arlinda Moriarty appeared to have it all: a booming business, awards for her work, and a proclamation from the city.

But the feds say all that time, she was the ringleader of an elaborate conspiracy to steal money from the government.

Moriarty left the federal courthouse Wednesday afternoon after a judge sentenced her to seven years in federal prison.

Moriarty’s world began unraveling five years ago, when the the FBI raided her home health care business on Perrysville Avenue.

The feds accused Moriarty and 15 others — some of them relatives — of defrauding the federal government out of millions of dollars by fabricating bills for ghost employees, submitting invoices for deceased patients, and falsifying records.

In an interview with Target 11 after the allegations surfaced, Moriarty denied the accusations.

But back in May, she decided to plead guilty to fraud charges.

In court Wednesday, prosecutors described Moriarty as the ringleader. In a “very complex medicaid fraud case that lasted for six years.”

Moriarty apologized to the government and her family, and said she accepts responsibility for her actions.

Moriarty is scheduled to report to federal prison in January.

The other defendants have all pleaded guilty as well and received anywhere from probation to five years in prison.

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