CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Federal and state authorities announced on Monday that they’ve charged more than a dozen people across North and South Carolina in one of the largest healthcare fraud crackdowns in U.S. history.
Monday’s announcement is part of a nationwide sweep involving 324 defendants. The operation targeted doctors, nurses, business owners, and others accused of defrauding Medicaid, Medicare, and other public health programs, federal and state officials said.
Gift cards and bogus labs
In Charlotte, Crystal Jackson, a former licensed addiction specialist, is accused of submitting $1.9 million in fake claims for drug testing and therapy through her company, Jackson Consulting Services. Of that, authorities said $1.6 million was paid out by NC Medicaid.
In the Eastern District of North Carolina, three people tied to a substance abuse treatment company called Life Touch, LLC – Kimberly Sims, Francine Super, and Keke Johnson – were charged with paying patients with gift cards to keep them coming back for services. This allegedly led to over $25 million in Medicaid payments. Prosecutors said staff also got kickbacks from a lab company and misled auditors.
Also in the Eastern District of North Carolina, Randal Wood, of Florida, was charged in a durable medical equipment (DME) scam tied to more than $39 million in improper Medicare payments. He allegedly worked with marketers who illegally waived copays and pressured doctors to sign off on unnecessary medical gear.
A more complex scheme allegedly conned South Carolina Medicaid out of $21 million, using fake behavioral health services. Donald Saunders, of Charlotte, is accused of leading the fraud ring alongside several others, including Vanessa Boatright, of Manning, SC, Latarsa Hitchcock, of Raleigh, NC, and Cynthia Harris, of Elgin, SC. According to federal prosecutors, they created fake clinics and submitted thousands of claims for services never rendered.
Fraudulent medical equipment
In Florence, SC, Tina Armstrong, 67, is accused of billing Medicare and Medicaid for medical equipment that was never delivered or no longer needed. Her company, Safe at Home Medical Equipment and Supplies, allegedly pulled in over $100,000 in false payments.
In Aiken, Dee Moton, a massage therapist, is charged with defrauding the VA out of more than $2.3 million. Authorities said she billed for fake therapy services, including some treatments veterans didn’t need, like “wheelchair therapy” for veterans who don’t use wheelchairs.
Exploiting patients
Another case involved Latisha Massey of Greer, SC, who was indicted for allegedly stealing from a vulnerable resident at a healthcare facility where she worked. Massey, a certified nursing assistant, is accused of transferring the resident’s money into her account and using their financial information for personal gain.
Cases in the U.S. with Carolina ties
- Lori Adcock, of Hampstead, NC, is facing federal charges in Virginia for inflating costs for home modifications billed to Medicaid
- Jennifer Brant, an Indiana home health aide, allegedly billed for services while vacationing in Myrtle Beach
- An Ohio provider, Patric Snowden, is accused of billing Medicaid for services she claimed to perform while traveling, including to North Carolina
Nationally, authorities seized $245 million in cash, luxury cars, crypto, and other assets. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services also reportedly stopped over $4 billion in payments tied to fraudulent claims and revoked 205 provider billing privileges in recent months.
For a full list of related cases across the United States, please click here.
Watch Monday’s full news conference below:
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Source: Fox 8 News Channel
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