United States Attorney
Northern District of Texas

1100 Commerce St., 3rd Fl.
Dallas, Texas 75242-1699

Telephone (214) 659-8600
Fax (214) 767-0978

FEDERAL GRAND JURY INDICTS LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR
IN ABILENE, TEXAS, ON HEALTH CARE FRAUD CHARGES

LUBBOCK, Tx. --- A federal grand jury in Lubbock, Texas, has returned a 24-count indictment charging Sheri Elizabeth Bell, of Abilene, Texas, with12 counts of health care fraud and 12 counts of making false statements related to health care matters, announced U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper of the Northern District of Texas. It is expected that Bell will surrender to federal authorities.

According to the indictment, Sheri Elizabeth Bell, 37, was licensed by the Texas Department of State Health Services as a Licensed Professional Counselor. In March 2002, she became a Medicaid-approved provider. One of the types of assistance available to Medicaid recipients is counseling services. Medicaid recipients are authorized to receive 30 counseling sessions per year. If a patient needs additional sessions, the provider must submit a request to Medicaid to authorize additional services.

Beginning in June 2002 and continuing until mid-October 2006, Bell filed, and caused to be filed, Medicaid reimbursement claims for counseling services that were never performed. As a result, Medicaid paid Bell more than $640,000, and of that amount, between $400,000 and $600,000 were for payments Medicaid made to her for fraudulent and undocumented claims.
As part of her scheme to defraud Medicaid, Bell used the names and Medicaid numbers of actual and former clients, and the names and Medicaid numbers of the family members and relatives of actual and former clients, to bill the Texas Medicaid program for counseling sessions, services, and benefits that were never performed or provided.

An indictment is an accusation by a grand jury and a defendant is presumed innocent unless proven otherwise. If convicted, however, each count of health care fraud carries a maximum statutory sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine and each count of making false statements related to health care matters carries a maximum statutory sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Restitution may be ordered.

U.S. Attorney Roper praised the excellent investigative work of Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott’s Office - Medicaid Fraud Unit and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and said, “This case is the culmination of a thorough investigation conducted by General Abbott’s Medicaid Fraud Unit and the FBI. Our cooperative efforts with the Attorney General’s office and the FBI are crucial to ferreting out and prosecuting this type of case.”

The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy R. Burch of the Texas Attorney General’s Office.

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