Ariell Dix — Racketeering

Ariell Olivia Dix, 38, ran one of the most brazen Medicaid fraud schemes in Nevada history. Between December 2017 and September 2021, Dix submitted millions of dollars in false claims to Nevada Medicaid while stealing the personal identities of elderly Medicaid recipients — many over age 60 — to set up shell companies and falsify service authorizations.

What makes this case unusual is that Dix had already been caught once. In June 2020, she was convicted for fraud involving Lifetime Assistance, LLC, a Reno-based Medicaid provider. After that conviction, Dix was added to both the federal OIG and Nevada Medicaid exclusion lists, permanently banning her from enrolling as a provider. But she didn't stop.

Instead, Dix recruited “straw owners” — people who put their names on company paperwork while Dix secretly ran everything from behind the scenes. Through at least six fraudulent companies, Dix continued to submit false claims, misrepresent staff qualifications, and exploit vulnerable Medicaid recipients. Through Square One Behavioral Health alone, approximately 47,601 claims totaling nearly $5 million were submitted. A judge ordered her to pay $7.5 million in restitution, costs, and penalties — $6 million to Nevada Medicaid and $1.5 million in enforcement costs.

Arizona subsequently prosecuted Dix for a separate $3.8 million fraud scheme targeting that state's Medicaid program (AHCCCS), making her a cross-state serial Medicaid fraudster. She is currently serving a 3.5-year Arizona prison sentence and is expected to transfer to Nevada custody upon release around 2027.