5 Things to Know: Feds Raid Cedric Dean Homes, Allege Medicaid Fraud

Feds Raid Cedric Dean Homes, Allege Medicaid Fraud

Federal law enforcement officials have raided three Charlotte properties connected with local transitional housing advocate Cedric Dean, as was first reported by WSOC’s Joe Bruno shortly after noon on Thursday. Federal records filed that day show that agents are investigating Dean and his company Cedric Dean Holdings for Medicaid fraud.

The records say Cedric Dean and others associated with his company executed a scheme to obtain Medicaid identification numbers from beneficiaries at homeless shelters, homeless encampments and halfway houses in North Carolina, sometimes paying people to recruit Medicaid beneficiaries by providing free or discounted temporary housing, a meal, payment or other benefits in exchange for their ID numbers. 

Filings allege that Dean’s company billed Medicaid for $14.5 million, with almost $9 million of that reimbursed to Dean between September 2024 and June 2025. Investigators say that money was used in part to buy the cars and properties seized by agents on Thursday. 

In May, Queen City Nerve reported that Cedric Dean had moved some families from the Baymont by Wyndham hotel off Sugar Creek Road into crowded transitional homes after he acquired Baymont to launch his Heal Empower Love Protect (HELP) program in the space in May. 

Read more: Baymont Hotel Displacement Crisis Reaches City Council

Other Baymont tenants told Queen City Nerve at the time that Dean told them they could stay as long as they were on Medicaid. Dean shut down his HELP program at the Baymont in June shortly after a woman and her baby were found dead at the site. 

As of Friday, Dean had not been criminally charged in connection to the Medicaid fraud investigation, though authorities say the investigation is ongoing. 

Republicans Launch Gerrymandering Scheme to Further Skew NC Representation

North Carolina Republican legislators plan to vote next week to redraw NC’s congressional map with the goal of adding another Republican seat to help cement the GOP’s majority in Congress, which is thought to be in danger with President Donald Trump’s approval rating at around 37%. 

A newly proposed map would redraw District 1, currently represented by Democratic US Rep. Don Davis, extracting a notable amount of his support from the district. As reported by NC Newsline on Thursday, the new map would create a district that voted roughly 55% Republican to 44% Democratic in the 2024 presidential election, putting Davis, who won by 1% that year, at a more than 10-percentage-point deficit.

The redistricting move, unprecedented halfway through the decade between US Census reports, comes after Donald Trump ordered Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott to redistrict his state to secure an additional five Republican-leaning districts, strengthening the GOP’s chance at maintaining control of the U.S. House of Representatives following the 2026 midterm elections. 

After California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced his intentions to respond with his own redistricting scheme to help maintain the balance, Trump called on all red-state legislatures to “fix” their congressional maps before 2026. 

Republican Senator Phil Berger insists the inexplicable timing has nothing to do with Trump’s call, though he directly cites Newsom’s response to Trump as justification for his own agenda. While Gov. Josh Stein has released his own statement calling the move “shameless,” he has little power in the redistricting process. 

Newsom took to Twitter on Tuesday to call out Berger for the plan. “Oh look, another lap dog Republican desperate to suck up to Trump,” Newsom wrote in response to a Berger tweet announcing his intentions. “The GOP is rigging elections and trying to cover it up with lies. Americans are not that stupid, Phil.”

Four Homicides Reported in Charlotte This Week

The city saw four murders occur in separate incidents around Charlotte this week, three of which were the result of gun violence. 

Shortly after 7 p.m. on Sunday, police responded to a shooting call at the Stewart Creek Crossing shopping center on Beatties Ford Road near Sunset Road, where they found 19-year-old Joelle Jsean Clesca dead from a gunshot wound. 

In the map above showing homicides that have occurred in Charlotte this year, black markers signify deaths by gun violence, green markers signify killings that may be deemed justified, red markers signify stabbings, yellow markers signify murder by vehicle, purple markers signify deaths by trauma or unknown cause, and blue markers signify police killings.

Shortly before 7 a.m. on Monday, police responded to a shooting call in the parking garage of the Hazel SouthPark Apartments in south Charlotte, where they found 45-year-old Dwanneich Hammonds suffering from a gunshot wound. Medic transported Hammonds to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. 

A single mother who went by Dee, Hammonds recently moved to Charlotte from Florida following a divorce. Police believe she was ambushed by the suspect in a targeted attack but are still investigating how the killer gained access to the secured garage. No arrests have been announced. 

Read more: CMPD Reports Continued Downward Trend in Crime During Q3 Presentation

At approximately 10:46 p.m. on Tuesday, police responded to a shooting call on North Crigler Street near the Brookshire Boulevard and I-85 interchange in northwest Charlotte, where they found 37-year-old Anthony Hill Jr. suffering from a gunshot wound. Medic transported Hill to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Then shortly before 2 a.m. on Saturday, police responded to an assault call in the Wembley Apartment Homes off Central Avenue in east Charlotte, where they found a man suffering from apparent blunt force trauma following a fight in a residence. Medic’s efforts to save the man were unsuccessful. The victim had not yet been identified as of Saturday morning. 

No arrests have been announced in any of the above cases at the time of this writing. 

CMS Investigating Sexual Assault Shared on Social Media

Authorities have reportedly launched a federal Title IX investigation into an apparent sexual assault that is believed to have occurred in a locker room or similar facility at Piedmont Middle School. 

A video showing classmates sexually assaulting a boy has been shared across social media platforms. It’s unclear on what day the video in question was recorded, though CMS has stated the incident happened after hours during an extracurricular activity. 

A letter from principal Jackie Barone to Piedmont Middle parents on Friday emphasized that no CMS personnel were involved in the incident and that the school has “followed all established safety procedures and protocols to ensure the well-being of our students and staff” since becoming aware of the recording. 

“As this incident involves confidential student matters, we are unable to share any further information,” Barone wrote, adding that counseling would be offered to any students affected by seeing the video and urging parents not to share or repeat unverified information, which she stated could “intensify concerns, make it more difficult to address situations appropriately, and may impede any investigation.”  

CMS Announces Coming Changes for High-Profile Sports Events 

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools on Thursday announced its new security procedures for athletic events that are deemed to be High Profile with Extraordinary Circumstances (HP/E). 

According to a release from the district, games or other events may be considered HP/E for reasons including but not limited to large expected crowds; previous incidents at the host facility; proximity to non-school events; or at the request of a school, the district or law enforcement. 

If a game or event is designated HP/E, a cap on ticket sales will be implemented as determined during a planning meeting to precede the event, with no tickets up for sale at the event or after 2 p.m. on the day of the event. 

HP/E events will also see additional security or law enforcement, limited entry and exit points, and separate concession stands for fans of the two competing teams. 

In late 2023, the district’s athletic director was forced to address security concerns after large fights broke out at multiple high-profile football games.