Attorney General Griffin Announces Two Convictions and an Arrest Made by His Medicaid Fraud Control Unit

‘My office remains unwavering in our mission to protect the vulnerable and hold bad actors accountable for Medicaid fraud’

LITTLE ROCK – Attorney General Tim Griffin issued the following statement announcing an arrest and two convictions made recently by his office’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit:

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“On January 22, Amanda Patton, 46, of Maynard, was arrested and charged with exploitation of a vulnerable person, a Class B felony. Patton allegedly exploited her aunt, who was in a nursing home, by using the victim’s personal funds for her own use, including the purchase of multiple vehicles and an RV totaling more than $185,000.

“On January 22, David Pelto, 44, and Roi Pelto, 42, both of Fayetteville, entered no-contest pleas to one count each of exploitation of a vulnerable person, a Class C felony. David and Roi, who were married at the time, allegedly exploited David’s uncle after placing him in a nursing home, taking his personal belongings, and transferring the victim’s personal funds for their own use. Both defendants were sentenced to three years of probation, a $1,000 fine plus court costs, and $500 in restitution.

“My office remains unwavering in our mission to protect the vulnerable and hold bad actors accountable for Medicaid fraud. I want to thank my Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) for their continued dedication to protecting Arkansans, especially Special Agent Laura Glover, Special Agent Rhonda Swindle, Assistant Attorney General Gabrielle Davis-Jones, and Senior Assistant Attorney General Leigh Patterson. I also want to thank the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office, Prosecuting Attorney for the Third Judicial District of Arkansas Devon Holder, and Prosecuting Attorney for the Fourth Judicial District of Arkansas Brandon Carter for their assistance in these cases.”

The Arkansas MFCU receives 75% of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant totaling $4,781,516 for the Federal fiscal year 2026, of which $3,586,140 is federally funded. The remaining 25%, totaling $1,195,376 for the State fiscal year 2026, is funded by Arkansas General Revenue.

About Attorney General Tim Griffin

Tim Griffin was sworn in as the 57th Attorney General of Arkansas on January 10, 2023, having previously served as the state’s 20th Lieutenant Governor from 2015-2023. From 2011-2015, Griffin served as the 24th representative of Arkansas’s Second Congressional District, where he served on the House Committee on Ways and Means, House Armed Services Committee, House Committee on Foreign Affairs, House Committee on Ethics and House Committee on the Judiciary while also serving as a Deputy Whip for the Majority.

Griffin is currently an officer in the Arkansas Army National Guard and holds the rank of colonel. Griffin served as an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps for more than 28 years. In 2005, Griffin was mobilized to active duty as an Army prosecutor at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and served with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) in Mosul, Iraq.

His previous assignments include serving as the Commander of the 2d Legal Operations Detachment in New Orleans, Louisiana; the Commander of the 134th Legal Operations Detachment at Fort Bragg, North Carolina; and as a Senior Legislative Advisor to the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness at the Pentagon. Griffin earned a master’s degree in strategic studies as a Distinguished Honor Graduate from the U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania.

Griffin also served as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, and Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Political Affairs for President George W. Bush; Special Assistant to Assistant Attorney General Michael Chertoff, Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice; Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Arkansas; Senior Investigative Counsel, Government Reform and Oversight Committee, U.S. House of Representatives; and Associate Independent Counsel, Office of Independent Counsel David M. Barrett, In re: HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros.

Griffin is a graduate of Magnolia High School, Hendrix College in Conway, and Tulane Law School in New Orleans. He attended graduate school at Oxford University. He is admitted to practice law in Arkansas (active) and Louisiana (inactive). Griffin lives in Little Rock with his wife, Elizabeth, a Camden native, and their three children.