Tigard Mother and Daughter Indicted on Forced Labor, Medicaid Fraud Charges

Oregon — A federal grand jury in Oregon has returned a superseding indictment charging a Tigard mother and daughter with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and forced labor related to an adult foster care home.

According to the indictment, Marie Gertrude Jean Valmont, 67, and Yolandita Marie Andre, 31, are accused of coercing three victims — including a minor — to work for little or no pay at Velida’s Home Care. Prosecutors allege the defendants recruited the victims from Haiti with promises of housing and steady employment, then confiscated their immigration documents and controlled their daily lives to compel labor.

Court records state the victims arrived in the United States in September 2023 and were forced to work long hours under threats of harm. The situation came to light in summer 2024 after the minor victim disclosed the abuse to a medical professional, prompting an investigation by Oregon Department of Justice authorities.

The indictment further alleges that Valmont and Andre defrauded the Oregon Department of Human Services and Medicaid by falsely requesting “exceptional payments” for additional caregiver hours while paying the victims little or nothing. Prosecutors also allege the defendants submitted false statements regarding residency, employment hours, and Valmont’s claimed disability, which allowed Andre to bill as a paid homecare worker while Valmont continued working as a caregiver herself.

Valmont faces additional charges for confiscating the victims’ documents to compel labor. Both defendants are charged with multiple counts of making false statements related to health care fraud.

Forced labor and conspiracy to commit health care fraud each carry potential penalties of up to 20 years in federal prison per count, with mandatory restitution required for forced labor convictions. False statements related to health care fraud are punishable by up to five years per count.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Tigard Police Department. Prosecutors include Assistant U.S. Attorney Eliza Carmen Rodriguez and Trial Attorney Elizabeth Hutson of the Department of Justice’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section.

Authorities urge anyone with information about human trafficking to contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.

An indictment is an accusation only. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.