The Inter-Mountain photo by Taylor McKinnie Carla Loutfi of Elkins was sentenced to seven years of supervised probation and must pay more than $13,000 in restitution to the state.

ELKINS — A Randolph County woman was sentenced to seven years of supervised probation and must pay more than $13,000 in restitution to the state.

Carla Loutfi, 53, of Elkins, was sentenced by Randolph County Circuit Court Judge David Wilmoth to not less than one, no more than 10 years in prison for one count of Medicaid fraud and to not less than one, no more than 10 years in prison for one count of fraudulent schemes. Wilmoth suspended both sentences for seven years of supervised probation. While no fines were issued against Loutfi, she will have to pay $13,628.25 in restitution to the State of West Virginia through a payment plan.

Loutfi entered into a plea agreement on May 4, pleading guilty to one count of Medicaid fraud and one count of fraudulent schemes, both felonies. ILoufti was initially indicted by a Randolph County Grand Jury in October on 31 counts of Medicaid fraud, 38 counts of forgery, one count of fraudulent schemes and one count of conspiracy, all felonies.

During the sentencing and restitution hearing on June 30, Loutfi’s attorney, James Hawkins, Jr., asked Wilmoth to give Loutfi a suspended sentence of probation. In regard to restitution, Hawkins argued that Loutfi’s socioeconomic situation, along with her being disabled for about 15 years and being on a plethora of medications, made it impossible for her to pay the $13,628.25 immediately or in large amounts. He stated that it would be “more than fair and reasonable” for Loutfi to make $100 payments every month until the restitution was fully paid.

Loutfi declined to address the court before sentencing.

Kanawha County Assistant Prosecutor Mandy Pellegrin, who represented the state in this case, recommended a sentence of probation for Loutfi, as per the plea agreement accepted in May. Pellegrin told Wilmoth that she did some “lawyer math,” and determined that if Loutfi was placed on five years of supervised probation, she could pay the restitution in full by the end of her probation if she paid $227.14 a month. She said the state was asking for restitution in that amount and that the state was fine with Loutfi using a payment plan.

As he issued the sentence, Wilmoth told Loutfi that she would need to coordinate with the probation office to set up a payment plan that works with her financial situation.