Case Summaries

2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown

Additional information and case materials will be posted to this webpage as they become available.

Cases Filed in Federal Court

Middle District of Alabama

New Life Center for Change, Inc. d/b/a Teen University, located in Phenix City, Alabama, and its owner, Alfonza Smith, 72, of Smiths Station, Alabama reached a civil settlement to pay $300,000.00 to resolve allegations that the company billed the Alabama Medicaid Agency for Basic Living Skills services for at-risk children in its care, when, in fact, the services never took place. The case was settled by Assistant U.S. Attorney MaryLou E. Bowdre of the Middle District of Alabama and the Alabama Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

District of Arizona

Susie Kamien, 55, of West Chester, Illinois, was charged by information with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with submitting over $918 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for amniotic wound allografts. As alleged in the information, Kamien was a medical biller who submitted claims to Medicare for allografts that were medically unreasonable and unnecessary, and procured through illegal kickbacks and bribes. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Shane Butland and William Hochul III of the National Rapid Response Strike Force and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Williams of the District of Arizona.
Jimmy Muyumbu, 38, formerly of Glendale, Arizona, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, health care fraud, conspiracy to launder money, and money laundering, in connection with an alleged scheme involving a substance abuse treatment clinic in Arizona that billed Arizona Medicaid over $44 million. As alleged in the indictment, Muyumbu owned and operated an outpatient treatment center called Motherland Counseling LLC (“Motherland”) in Phoenix, Arizona, which was purportedly in the business of providing addiction treatment services for vulnerable patients suffering from alcohol and drug addiction. Muyumbu enrolled Motherland as a provider with Arizona’s Medicaid agency, the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (“AHCCCS”). Muyumbu sought out patients enrolled in AHCCCS’s American Indian Health Program, a fee-for-service program for Native American AHCCCS members. Muyumbu and his co-conspirators exploited these patients by submitting approximately $44,920,644 in false and fraudulent claims to AHCCCS for services that were not provided, were not provided as billed, were so substandard that they failed to serve a treatment purpose, were not used as part of or integrated into any treatment plan, were tainted by illegal kickbacks and bribes, and, in some cases, were medically unnecessary. AHCCCS paid approximately $36,678,016 based on these fraudulent claims. Muyumbu then laundered the fraudulent proceeds by purchasing real estate in the greater Phoenix area. The government seized approximately $104,463 in proceeds from Muyumbu’s alleged fraud scheme. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Sarah Edwards and Assistant Chief Jim Hayes of the National Rapid Response Strike Force and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Williams of the District of Arizona. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Bozdech is handling the forfeiture aspects of the case.
Sandra Peters, 45, of Saint Johns, Florida, was charged by information with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with over $10 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for amniotic wound allografts. As alleged in the information, Kamien was a sales representative who ordered and recommended allografts that were medically unreasonable and unnecessary, and procured through illegal kickbacks and bribes. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Shane Butland and William Hochul III of the National Rapid Response Strike Force and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Williams of the District of Arizona.
Brian Rowan, 47, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care and wire fraud, health care fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay health care kickbacks, paying health care kickbacks, and transactional money laundering, in connection with a $1.2 billion wound allograft scheme. As alleged in the Indictment, Rowan, the Vice President of Sales for a company that sold expensive amniotic wound allografts, caused hundreds of millions of dollars in illegal kickbacks, bribes, and rebates to be paid to sales representatives and medical providers throughout the country to unlawfully induce purchases of the company’s allografts. Rowan and his co-conspirators concealed these kickbacks and bribes by issuing sham sales invoices to providers in amounts that exceeded the providers’ actual cost of the allografts and directing providers to use the amounts reflected on those invoices for Medicare reimbursement, thereby inflating Medicare’s reimbursements and concealing the providers’ undisclosed and unreported profits. Rowan and his co-conspirators further concealed the kickbacks and bribes by using pass-through bank accounts associated with a shell company to funnel the illegal kickbacks and bribes to providers in exchange for purchasing the company’s allografts. Induced by these unlawful financial incentives, sales representatives and providers targeted elderly patients, many of whom were terminally ill in hospice care, and caused medically unreasonable and unnecessary allografts to be applied to these vulnerable patients. Between December 2021 and June 2024, Rowan and his co-conspirators caused the submission of $1.2 billion in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, TRICARE, CHAMPVA, and commercial insurers, of which approximately $614 million was paid. Rowan personally made over $24 million, which he used to purchase multi-million-dollar houses, million-dollar life insurance policies, luxury vehicles, and luxury watches. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Shane Butland and William Hochul III of the National Rapid Response Strike Force, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Williams of the District of Arizona.

Central District of California

Dr. Richard Dorsey, 83, of Orange, California, was charged by information with health care fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud the United States Department of Labor, Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs. As alleged in the information, Dr. Dorsey, a psychiatrist at Western Orthopaedic Surgical Associates, falsified psychiatric reports so that claimants would fraudulently qualify for federal worker’s compensation, and submitted false claims for reimbursement of medical services, resulting in overpayments of $1.8 million. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rosalind Wang of the Central District of California.
Lynn Galbraith, 59, of Anaheim, California, was charged by information with health care fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud Medicare by submitting claims for unnecessary hospice services. As alleged in the information, Galbraith, the owner of Azure Hospice Care, Inc. in Garden Grove, California, submitted claims to Medicare for reimbursement of hospice services for beneficiaries who did not qualify for hospice care, resulting in a loss to Medicare of $2.1 million. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rosalind Wang of the Central District of California.
Wisam Khader, 36, of Irvine, California, Patrick Murphy, 40, of Irvine, California, and Justin Evans, 37, of Lakewood, Colorado, were charged by indictment with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances in a scheme where the three physicians used their prescribing authority to prescribe controlled substances to one another outside the course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose. As alleged in the indictment, the three defendants wrote almost 90 prescriptions to one another for drugs containing federally controlled substances, including amphetamine, oxycodone, buprenorphine, diazepam, morphine, and pregabalin. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul R.A. Hari of the Central District of California.
Brenda Lopez, 63, of Norwalk, California, was charged by indictment with health care fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with a $9 million laboratory testing scheme to defraud Medicare. As alleged in the indictment, Lopez, a medical office manager, prepared false orders for urinary tract infection tests, respiratory pathogen panels, and oral toxicology screens for Medicare beneficiaries using the names and forged signatures of four medical providers. The beneficiaries did not provide specimens for the tests, and some were deceased at the time of testing. Lopez provided the orders to a laboratory, which billed Medicare for the fraudulent tests. At one point, Lopez attempted to pay one of the providers when the provider learned that his name was used without authorization to refer hundreds of tests to the laboratory. In total, the laboratory billed Medicare approximately $9,087,013 and was paid approximately $2,117,994 for testing referred by Lopez based on the fraudulent orders. Lopez provided the false orders in exchange for money, which she spent at casinos and gave to others who aided her in the scheme. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Matthew R. Belz of the Los Angeles Strike Force.
Christina Mareik a/k/a “Christina Sanchez Hernandez,” 61, of Whittier, California, was charged by complaint with health care fraud in connection with her role in a nearly $270 million scheme to defraud Medicaid of California (“Medi-Cal”). As alleged in the affidavit filed with the complaint, Mareik, patient marketer Paul Randall, pharmacy owner Kyrollos Mekail, nurse practitioner Patricia Anderson, and others took advantage of Medi-Cal’s suspension of its requirement that health care providers obtain prior authorization before providing certain health care services or medications as a condition of reimbursement. The suspension of the prior authorization requirements was part of an ongoing transition of Medi-Cal’s prescription drug program to a new payment system. Through Monte Vista Pharmacy, Mareik and her co-schemers exploited the suspension by billing Medi-Cal tens of millions of dollars per month for dispensing medically unnecessary, high-reimbursing, non-contracted, generic drugs. Some of these prescription medications purportedly were to treat pain and included Folite tablets, a vitamin available over the counter. As alleged in the complaint affidavit, Mareik arranged for the submission of thousands of fraudulent prescriptions for these medically unnecessary medications to Monte Vista so that Monte Vista could submit claims to Medi-Cal. Over the course of the fraudulent scheme, Mareik and her co-schemers caused the submission of approximately $269,130,829 in false and fraudulent claims to Medi-Cal, of which Medi-Cal paid at least approximately $178,746,556. Mareik received at least approximately $279,000 in fraud scheme proceeds. To date, the government has seized approximately $126.5 million in assets accumulated from the scheme, including $111 million in bank funds and securities, nine luxury vehicles totaling approximately $1 million, nine luxury real properties totaling approximately $13.5 million, and more than $1 million worth of sports memorabilia. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Siobhan M. Namazi of the Los Angeles Strike Force and Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger A. Hsieh of the Central District of California. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Dochterman is handling asset forfeiture.
Oren Shachar, 59, of Los Angeles, California, Jeannie Choi, 57, of Torrance, California, and Abraham Shin, 66, of Corona, California, were charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, health care fraud, and aggravated identity theft in connection with a $27 million hospice fraud and kickback scheme. Shachar was also charged with paying illegal health care kickbacks, selling Medicare beneficiary identification numbers, and money laundering. As alleged in the indictment, Shachar, the owner of four hospice companies in Los Angeles, conspired with others to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare for hospice services that (1) were provided to individuals who were not terminally ill and thus were not qualified for hospice, (2) never occurred because the patients were already deceased before being enrolled in Shachar’s hospices, and (3) were for patients who were referred to Shachar’s hospices based on Shachar’s payment of illegal kickbacks to patient recruiters. Shachar deceived beneficiaries by, among other things, concealing Medicare’s preconditions for hospice coverage and the adverse effects that hospice enrollment would have on beneficiaries’ entitlement to coverage for curative health care services, and paid beneficiaries illegal bribes, including cash, groceries, alcohol, televisions, and furniture, to induce them to remain enrolled in his hospices. Shachar purchased patient referrals for hospice, and the means of identification of already-deceased beneficiaries, from Choi, an employee of a Los Angeles-based mortuary, and Shin, Choi’s acquaintance. Shachar purported to enroll the deceased beneficiaries in hospice service pre-dating their death in order to falsely show Medicare that more beneficiaries had died while still enrolled in hospice. From 2021 to 2026, Shachar’s hospices fraudulently billed Medicare approximately $27,731,000, and Medicare paid approximately $26,908,000. Shachar spent some of the proceeds of his fraud and kickback schemes on a partial downpayment for a Rolls Royce Phantom. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Michael Bacharach of the Los Angeles Strike Force.

Southern District of California

Blanca Cardenas, 55, and Raquel Pasillas, 33, both of Chula Vista, California, were charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and health care fraud in connection with over $9.5 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare, of which approximately $5.5 million was paid. As alleged in the indictment, Cardenas, a nurse practitioner, and Pasillas, Cardenas’s daughter, fraudulently billed Medicare for mobile medical services, including the application of expensive amniotic allograft skin substitutes, where Cardenas was purportedly the rendering provider of the billed services. However, as alleged, at the time that the medical services were provided to the Medicare beneficiaries, Cardenas was incarcerated serving a federal custodial sentence on a felony conviction and did not provide the services herself. Instead, Pasillas, having no medical license, allegedly provided the billed services to the Medicare beneficiaries. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Blanca Quintero of the Southern District of California.

District of Colorado

Mohamed Elias Omer, 35, of Egypt, was charged by indictment with paying illegal kickbacks to induce Medicaid beneficiaries to attend Nadina Adult Daycare Center LLC in Arapahoe County, Colorado. As alleged in the indictment, Omer offered three $500 kickback payments in exchange for referrals of Medicaid beneficiaries for adult daycare services, as well as $10,000 in other kickback payments described as “marketing expense[s]” or “office supply.” The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Minser of the District of Colorado and First Assistant Attorney General Rebecca Weber of the Colorado Medicaid Fraud, Abuse & Neglect Unit, serving as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado.

District of Connecticut

Coastal Diagnostics LLC (“Coastal”), located in Branford, Connecticut, and its owner, Tricia Conroy, have entered into a civil settlement to pay over $145,000 to resolve allegations of Medicaid enrollment fraud. As alleged, the defendants made material misrepresentations to the Connecticut Medicaid program (“Medicaid”) in their provider enrollment application. Although Coastal, a reference laboratory, was related to another laboratory operating as a Medicaid provider, Coastal and Conroy failed to disclose to Medicaid their relationship to the other laboratory as they were required to do. The related laboratory was owned and operated by Conroy’s husband, the two laboratories were located at the same business address, and Conroy was the chief operating officer of the other laboratory. If Coastal’s provider enrollment application had been filled out truthfully, Medicaid would not have approved Coastal and Conroy’s application to become a Medicaid provider, because at the time the other laboratory was under a payment suspension and was being investigated for fraud. After Coastal began submitting claims for laboratory services, Medicaid learned that Coastal and the other laboratory were related and terminated Coastal’s provider agreement. In 2025, the other laboratory entered into a civil settlement agreement with the federal and state governments in which it paid over $1.2 million to settle allegations that it submitted false claims to government health care programs for medically unnecessary drug tests. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard M. Molot of the District of Connecticut and by Assistant Attorney General Christine Miller of the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General.
Habroon Habib, 30, of Middletown, Connecticut, was charged by information with operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, Around The World Solutions LLC, in connection with a health care fraud scheme that submitted fraudulent claims for durable medical equipment to Medicare Advantage plans in Connecticut. The total amount of fraudulent claims submitted to Medicare plans was approximately $1,901,200, and Around The World Solutions was paid a total of approximately $680,571.28. As alleged in the information, between March 12, 2025 and May 14, 2025, Habib sent 14 separate wire transfers totaling $425,000 from Connecticut to financial institutions in Pakistan when neither he nor Around The World Solutions was licensed by the State of Connecticut to engage in interstate or foreign money transmissions. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Sheldon of the District of Connecticut.

District of Delaware

Alpha Care Medical, LLC, its principal Nihar Gala, 38, of Lewes, Delaware, and its laboratory director Bo Wang, 52, of Glen Mills, Pennsylvania were charged by complaint with violating the False Claims Act between July 2021 and June 2026 when they submitted or caused to be submitted false claims to Medicare, the Delaware Medical Assistance Program, TRICARE, and the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program for medically unnecessary urine drug tests and tests that were never performed. As alleged in the complaint, the defendants submitted at least $2,799,150 in false claims to these programs for the tests, of which approximately $1,085,357 was paid. The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth F. Vieyra of the District of Delaware.

Middle District of Florida

Konstantin Braverman, 40, of Lake Worth, Florida, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, conspiracy to solicit and receive kickbacks, and conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with a scheme to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare for COVID-19 tests. From April 4, 2022, until the declared end of the COVID-19 public health emergency on May 11, 2023, Medicare covered and paid for these tests at no cost to the beneficiary but only if the beneficiary requested the tests. As alleged in the indictment, Braverman and co-conspirators introduced “marketers” to medical service providers and the “marketers” agreed to sell the providers lists of Medicare beneficiaries and their identifying information. The providers shipped COVID-19 tests to the identified beneficiaries, none of whom had requested the tests, and billed Medicare for the tests. The providers then paid the “marketers” a set dollar amount per beneficiary, but the providers paid this amount only if a claim submitted on behalf of a beneficiary was reimbursed by Medicare. The “marketers” paid Braverman a share of the proceeds obtained from the providers. The conspirators caused the submission of approximately 152,000 fraudulent claims to Medicare for the period of January 2023 through November 2023, which resulted in reimbursements totaling approximately $14,405,700. Braverman received a total of approximately $1,509,426 in proceeds as a result of his involvement in the offense. Braverman directed the “marketers” to send his share of the proceeds to accounts controlled by a third party. The third party then moved the money through other accounts he controlled and paid Braverman the proceeds of the fraud out of those accounts, minus a 10% laundering fee. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier of the Middle District of Florida. Assistant U.S. Attorney Clint Locke is handling asset forfeiture.
Leo Corrigan, 56, of Tampa, Florida, was charged by information with conspiracy to defraud the United States, to purchase, sell, and distribute, and arrange for the purchase, sale, and distribution, of Medicare beneficiary identification numbers, and to solicit and receive health care kickbacks in connection with two schemes to fraudulently bill Medicare for over $7.5 million and to receive approximately $1.7 million in illegal kickbacks and bribes. As alleged in the information, Corrigan conspired with others to purchase Medicare beneficiary identification numbers and used those numbers to bill Medicare for over-the-counter COVID-19 tests to be shipped to those whose Medicare beneficiary identification number had been purchased, regardless of whether the Medicare beneficiary had requested the tests. Further, Corrigan owned and controlled a corporation that he used to provide Medicare beneficiary information to certain laboratories that could then use the information to bill Medicare for genetic testing in exchange for payment. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany E. Fields of the Middle District of Florida.
Leigh Tesar, 44, of Sarasota, Florida, Walter Presha, Jr., 51, of Ellenton, Florida, and Koby Evans, 31, of Apollo Beach, Florida, were charged by indictment for their roles in a more than $118 million wound care fraud scheme. Tesar, Presha, and Evans were charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay and receive health care kickbacks. Tesar was charged with health care fraud and payment of health care kickbacks. Presha and Evans were also charged with receipt of health care kickbacks. As alleged in the indictment, the defendants targeted Medicare patients so that Tesar, a nurse practitioner, could bill Medicare for unnecessary and expensive wound allografts and so that Presha and Evans, both nurses, could be paid kickbacks for referring patients to Tesar. In certain instances, Tesar caused Medicare to be billed for expensive allografts that were never applied to patients, were applied to infected wounds, and were applied to wounds that would not heal because the patient was terminally ill. In just eighteen months, Medicare was billed more than $118 million for skin grafts and wound care services that were medically unnecessary, ineligible for reimbursement, not performed, and procured through kickbacks. Medicare paid approximately $61 million based on these false and fraudulent claims. The government seized approximately $11.8 million in assets in this matter. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Chris Wenger of the National Rapid Response Strike Force and Owen Dunn of the Florida Strike Force.
Lawrence Waldman, of Miami, Florida, has entered into a civil settlement to pay $5 million to resolve a False Claims Act case in connection with a health care fraud kickback scheme involving medically unnecessary genetic and respiratory diagnostic testing services. Waldman separately pleaded guilty to criminal charges stemming from his role in the scheme. As alleged, Waldman was a former sales representative of ASAP Labs and shared in its profits. Waldman paid kickbacks from ASAP Labs to certain physicians in return for agreeing to sign requisition forms for medically unnecessary laboratory tests that were submitted by ASAP Labs in violation of the Federal Anti-Kickback statute and that were used to support false claims for Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE reimbursement. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelley Howard-Allen of the Middle District of Florida.

Northern District of Florida

Edward Scott Morrison, 58, of Pensacola Beach, Florida, was charged by indictment with unlawfully distributing and dispensing controlled substances in connection with the illegal prescribing of at least 25,500 controlled substance pills, including over 22,000 opioid pills and over 3,000 stimulant pills. As alleged in the indictment, Morrison, a doctor of osteopathic medicine, wrote, signed, and distributed controlled substance prescriptions, including for oxycodone, hydrocodone, amphetamine, lisdexamfetamine, methylphenidate, testosterone, alprazolam, diazepam, lorazepam, zolpidem, and tramadol to individuals without determining whether there was a legitimate medical purpose for the medication, without conducting physical examinations, without reviewing and assessing all available historical medical and prescribing records, and without creating and maintaining any records of encounters with those individuals. The indictment further alleges that Morrison issued controlled substance prescriptions to individuals upon their request or the request of a third party. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia Forbes of the Northern District of Florida.

Southern District of Florida

Eduardo Javier Ibarra Arrowsmith, 61, of Miami, Florida, was charged by criminal complaint with fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents and aggravated identity theft in connection with a scheme to fraudulently certify naturalization applicants as disabled in order to exempt them from the English language and civics requirements of the U.S. citizenship naturalization test. As alleged in the complaint, Ibarra, a Cuban national and convicted felon posing as a licensed medical doctor, impersonated a deceased Miami-Dade neurologist and used that doctor's credentials — including his name, National Provider Identifier number, and Florida medical license number — to fraudulently complete and sign at least 34 USCIS Form N-648 Medical Certification for Disability Exceptions, resulting in 14 naturalization applicants obtaining U.S. citizenship without completing the required testing. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Noah P. Dorman of the Southern District of Florida.
Rene Yartu Couceiro, 57, of Miami, Florida, was charged by information with conspiracy to make false statements relating to health care matters in connection with a Medicaid and Medicare fraud scheme involving the payment of kickbacks to Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries. As alleged in the Information, Couceiro was a therapist at Healthy Minds Medical Center Inc. (“Healthy Minds”), a Miami mental health clinic. Starting in or around March 2023, Couceiro allegedly conducted group mental health therapy sessions for patients, including Medicaid and Medicare recipients, who were expected to attend therapy sessions approximately four days per week. More than half of his patients allegedly were permitted to attend only some of their scheduled therapy sessions while still signing attendance records for all four scheduled therapy days. In or around December 2024, during an audio/video-recorded meeting with a cooperating patient, Couceiro allegedly had the patient sign attendance records for specialized depression therapy reimbursable by Medicare and Medicaid. In addition to the false statements on therapy attendance records, court records allege that others at Healthy Minds, including the clinic’s manager, oversaw the payment of “donations” in the form of cash payments to Healthy Minds patients, including Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Noah P. Dorman of the Southern District of Florida.
Yilian Cruz, 36, of Miami Lakes, Florida, Inti Cruz, 55, of Miami Lakes, Florida, and Adaimis Perez Arencibia, 39, of Miami, Florida, were charged by information with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with a scheme involving over $1 million in fraudulently obtained Medicaid reimbursements for psychosocial rehabilitation (“PSR”) services. As alleged in the informations, the Cruzes were the married co-owners of De La Cruz Mental Health LLC (“De La Cruz”), a Miami mental health clinic where Perez Arencibia worked as a therapist. The Cruzes worked with other co-conspirators to pay illegal kickbacks to elderly Medicaid beneficiaries in order to recruit them as patients and trained therapists, including Perez Arencibia, to implement a false and fraudulent policy that permitted elderly patients to attend only two of their scheduled four PSR days per week while falsely signing attendance sheets reflecting attendance on all four days despite knowing that patients attended only two days. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Noah P. Dorman of the Southern District of Florida.
Dr. Jason Finkelstein, 53, of Fort Worth, Texas, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, and health care fraud, in connection with an $89 million cardiovascular testing scheme. As alleged in the indictment, Finkelstein, a board-certified cardiologist licensed in 48 states, was the medical director of a cardiovascular testing company, Company 1, that conducted cardiovascular tests on student athletes at school campuses across the United States. Finkelstein conspired with others to use two companies that he owned, Cardiovascular Testing Services PA and Cardiovascular Healthcare Associates PA, to submit approximately $89 million in false and fraudulent claims to private and public insurers for cardiovascular tests conducted by Company 1, of which approximately $13.1 million was paid. As alleged in the indictment, Finkelstein was the only referring/ordering provider for Company 1’s claims, but he did not conduct any clinical examination to determine whether the student athletes had a clinical diagnosis that warranted the cardiovascular tests. Despite this, the claims fraudulently included false diagnoses for student athletes to induce the insurance companies to pay for the tests. The claims also falsely stated that Dr. Finkelstein was the reviewing provider for the tests, when, in fact, he signed and approved the cardiovascular test results within a few seconds of accessing the tests. In October 2024, Dr. Finkelstein signed the cardiovascular tests of one student athlete as “normal” even though some of the tests included unconfirmed interpretations noting potential cardiovascular abnormalities. Approximately 24 days later, the student died from sudden cardiac arrest while exercising with his basketball team. Even though Finkelstein was informed of the student’s death, Finkelstein did not change his practice of signing and approving the cardiovascular test results without meaningfully reviewing them, and Cardiovascular Testing Services PA and Cardiovascular Healthcare Associates PA continued to bill insurers for those tests. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Aisha Schafer Hylton of the Florida Strike Force.
Ibrahim Hilmi, 58, of Miami, Florida, was charged by indictment with health care fraud and wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, and money laundering, in connection with a $3.76 billion health care fraud scheme. As alleged in the indictment, Hilmi was involved in the operation of ABRH Care, Inc., and Sunshine Senior Solutions LLC, two entirely fraudulent durable medical equipment companies that submitted claims to Medicare, Medicaid, and other insurers for billions of dollars of medical equipment and wound dressings that the companies never provided. Hilmi used his control of Sunshine Senior Solutions’ corporate bank accounts to deposit the proceeds of these fraudulent claims into those accounts, and to wire millions of dollars of fraud proceeds out of the United States to a foreign entity located in Hong Kong. In total, ABRH and Sunshine Senior Solutions submitted at least $3.76 billion in fraudulent claims to Medicare, Medicaid, and other insurers, but only approximately $5.7 million was deposited into ABRH and Sunshine Senior Solutions bank accounts. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Claire Horrell of the Florida Strike Force.
Giorgi Kimeridze, 43, a national of the country of Georgia, was charged by complaint with conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with his role in a multi-billion-dollar health care fraud and money laundering scheme to target, exploit, and steal from Medicare, which was uncovered through Operation Gold Rush. As alleged in the complaint, Kimeridze participated in the laundering of fraud proceeds obtained from at least two durable medical equipment (“DME”) companies that were part of the health care fraud scheme. Together the DME companies billed Medicare, Medicare Supplemental Insurers, Medicare Advantage Organizations, and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (“FEHBP”) more than $1 billion, of which approximately $4.9 million was paid. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Claire Horrell of the Florida Strike Force and Leonid Sandlar of the Northeast Strike Force.
Casilda Muniz Rodriguez, 57, of Hialeah, Florida, was charged by information with conspiracy to defraud the government in connection with her role setting up clinics in South Florida that fraudulently billed Medicare for over $117 million for skin substitutes and wound care products that were never provided. Muniz Rodriguez worked with the clinics’ true owners to set up the clinics and fraudulently listed only the names of nominee owners on the paperwork enrolling the clinics with Medicare. Muniz Rodriguez set up at least 11 of these fraudulent clinics, and Medicare paid over $55 million based on the clinics’ fraudulent claims. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Emmanuel Hampton of the Florida Strike Force and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sally Molloy and Jacqueline DerOvanesian of the Southern District of Florida.
Laura Seiler-Anstett, 55, of Coral Springs, Florida, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, and health care fraud, in connection with a $58.3 million durable medical equipment (“DME”) scheme. As alleged in the indictment, Seiler-Anstett, a biller and consultant, submitted and conspired with others to submit approximately $58.3 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, of which approximately $30 million was paid. The fraudulent claims were for orthotic braces that were medically unnecessary, ineligible for reimbursement, and procured through the payment of illegal kickbacks and bribes. The fraudulent claims were submitted to Medicare on behalf of fourteen DME supply companies. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Aisha Schafer Hylton of the Florida Strike Force.
Rajiv Shah, 65, of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, and health care fraud, in connection with an over $64 million scheme to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (“DME”). As alleged in the indictment, Shah, as the owner and operator of ACC-Q Data, LLC, a medical billing company, conspired with owners and operators of DME companies to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare. Medicare paid over $23 million based on those claims. Shah advised the DME companies how to avoid scrutiny from Medicare for the medically unnecessary DME and how to conceal the fraudulent nature of these claims. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Jody King of the Florida Strike Force.
Anthony Tursi, 39, of Boynton Beach, Florida, was charged by information with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and conspiracy to pay and receive health care kickbacks in connection with a $62 million scheme to bill Medicare for medically unnecessary genetic testing. As alleged in the information, Tursi owned a call center through which he sold doctors’ orders for genetic tests to laboratories by running deceptive telemarketing campaigns to persuade the Medicare beneficiaries to agree to the tests. His call center then would “doctor chase” the beneficiaries’ physicians to sign orders for the tests by sending them faxes containing false, fraudulent, and misleading representations designed to induce them into ordering the tests. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Reginald Cuyler Jr. of the Florida Strike Force.
$27,425,929 of health care fraud proceeds were seized pursuant to seizure warrants and civil forfeiture complaints from bank accounts belonging to 12 different clinics in South Florida: Always Medical Center Corp., Caso Quality East Corp., CRC Management, Envy South Florida Medical Center, H Services Corp., Hamilton State Inc., Medmed 137 Inc., Miami Special Care, Nakelly Medical Center Corp., Pronto Medical Center, Theron Medical Center LLC, and VCG Best Services. The seizure warrants and civil forfeiture complaints allege that the clinics were “bust outs”—billing Medicare for amniotic wound allografts and services that were never provided. The seizure initiative is being led by Acting Assistant Chiefs Jil Simon and Keith Clouser, and Trial Attorney Owen Dunn, of the Florida Strike Force, Assistant Chief Jamie de Boer of the National Rapid Response Strike Force, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sally Molloy, Beth Young, Gabrielle Charest-Turken, Nadya Cheatham, Sandra Demirci, Nicole Grosnoff, Daren Grove, Mitch Hyman, and Brian Zack of the Southern District of Florida.

Northern District of Georgia

Lonnie Releford, 57, of Stockbridge, Georgia, was charged by information with concealment of material facts related to health care matters in connection with a scheme to trick health care providers into hiring him as a licensed practical nurse, when in fact he was not a licensed practical nurse. In furtherance of the scheme, Releford impersonated an actual licensed practice nurse by using their name and license number. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward C. Robinson Jr. of the Northern District of Georgia.
Murrell Carnell Rutledge, Jr., 52, of Atlanta, Georgia, was charged by indictment with health care fraud in connection with services not rendered and services misrepresented, which were billed to the Georgia Medicaid program in the amount of approximately $4.3 million resulting in a loss of approximately $2.6 million. As alleged in the indictment, Rutledge was the operator of Rutledge Medical Associates LLC, a medical practice located in East Point, Georgia. As the operator, Rutledge caused the billing of thousands of fraudulent claims to Georgia Medicaid for wound care, psychotherapy, and allergy testing services never performed. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cathelynn Tio and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Mooney of the Northern District of Georgia.

District of Hawaii

Henry Quan, 54, of Honolulu, Hawaii, was charged by complaint with health care fraud in connection with a scheme to bill Medicare for prescription drugs that were never dispensed, resulting in a loss of at least $1.5 million. As alleged in the complaint, Quan, a registered pharmacist, controlled Wellness Pharmacy, which billed for drugs that were not dispensed. This included fraudulently billing for several high-cost medications, such as Restasis, for which the pharmacy did not have sufficient supplies on hand to cover the medications it claimed to have dispensed to patients. The case is being prosecuted by Michael Albanese of the District of Hawaii.

District of Idaho

Niki Rashel Cook, 47, of Caldwell, Idaho, was charged by indictment with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with an alleged scheme to obtain nursing jobs at healthcare businesses by fraudulently representing herself to be a registered nurse and licensed practical nurse. As alleged in the indictment, Cook, using victims’ names and nursing licenses, applied for and obtained jobs at healthcare facilities, including a behavioral health hospital, a rehabilitation hospital, a skilled nursing facility, and businesses providing hospice services, earning over $22,000 as a result of her scheme. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Darci Crane of the District of Idaho.

Northern District of Illinois

Amirali Bhimani, 42, of Naperville, Illinois, was charged by information with three counts of health care fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud Medicare through the submission of fraudulent claims for over-the-counter COVID-19 test kits that were never requested or provided. As alleged in the information, Bhimani sold Medicare beneficiary information to laboratories so that those laboratories could bill Medicare for purportedly providing the beneficiaries with COVID-19 test kits. Bhimani and others provided one or more of the laboratories with fake recordings of phone calls, in which the Medicare beneficiaries purportedly agreed to receive the test kits. The source of the recordings informed Bhimani that they were generated using artificial intelligence. Through the scheme, Bhimani caused laboratories to bill Medicare approximately $342 million for the purported provision of test kits to beneficiaries who did not consent to receiving the kits and did not receive the kits, of which approximately $240 million was paid to the laboratories. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Kelly M. Warner of the Midwest Strike Force.
Daniel Robinson, 51, of Palos Park, Illinois, was charged by complaint with health care fraud and money laundering in connection with a scheme to defraud Illinois Medicaid through the submission of fraudulent claims for behavioral health counseling and therapy services that were never provided. As alleged in the complaint, since January 2024, Robinson’s company, ODA Solutions, Inc., has billed Illinois Medicaid over $92,241,952 and has been paid approximately $75,171,733. Robinson, as Founder and CEO of ODA Solutions, allegedly directed others to create fake medical records and bill for counseling services that were not provided, including for beneficiaries who had died. As alleged in the complaint, Robinson transferred approximately $44,661,747 of the fraudulent proceeds to several brokerage and other business bank accounts and used approximately $7,362,574 of the fraudulent proceeds to purchase luxury items including real estate, vehicles, jewelry, and a yacht. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Sarah Finch of the Midwest Strike Force and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin Pinkston of the Northern District of Illinois.

Northern District of Iowa

Hughes Home Care, Inc., d/b/a Synergy Homecare (“Synergy”) and its owner, Jacob Hughes, 35, both of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, were charged by indictment with health care fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud the Veterans Community Care Program out of over $350,000. As alleged in the indictment, Hughes and Synergy submitted claims for home health care services not actually provided to elderly and infirm veterans, including claims for services purportedly provided after a veteran client passed away. As alleged, Hughes used the proceeds of the scheme to pay sports gambling debts and other personal expenses. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyndra Lundquist of the Northern District of Iowa.

Southern District of Iowa

Eugene J. Cherny, 70, of Des Moines, Iowa, and his plastic surgery practice, Heartland Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, P.C., were named as defendants in a civil False Claims Act complaint in connection with false representations made to a Medicare contractor. As alleged in the complaint, Cherny obtained two invoices for each skin substitute product he received from a distributor: one showing the price Cherny actually paid and another showing an artificially-inflated “list price.” When a Medicare contractor asked Cherny to send invoices documenting what he had paid so Medicare could reimburse him, Cherny provided only the invoice containing the artificially-inflated price. The complaint alleges that federal health insurance programs paid Cherny and Heartland more than $2 million based on the false information he provided. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Brandon J. Gray and Brian J. Keogh of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa and Andrew H. Kahl of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Genesis Health System, Mercy Health Network, Inc., and Trinity Health Corporation located in Davenport, Iowa, agreed to pay $4,643,128 following a voluntary self-disclosure concerning Genesis’s overuse and resulting over-billing of the Impella heart pump device between April 2016 and March 2022. The case was settled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin M. Herrera of the Southern District of Iowa.

Western District of Kentucky

Dr. Christian Berkhahn, 51, of Louisville, Kentucky, was charged by information with conspiracy to obtain controlled substances by fraud or deceit and health care fraud in connection with using his DEA number to order controlled substances in others’ names. As alleged in the information, Dr. Berkhahn, a physician, prescribed Cotempla, a Schedule II controlled substance, in his employee’s child’s name and requested the employee retrieve the prescription from the pharmacy and provide it to Dr. Berkhahn. As further alleged, Dr. Berkhahn prescribed oxycodone, a Schedule II controlled substance, in the name of another individual, knowing that someone else would actually acquire the prescription from the pharmacy. Both drugs were paid for by Kentucky Medicaid. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joe Ansari and Kayla Campbell of the Western District of Kentucky.
Meredith Rachael Douglass, 38, of Louisville, Kentucky, was charged by indictment with theft of medical products, making false statements relating to health care matters, and acquiring and attempting to acquire controlled substances by misrepresentation, fraud, deception, and subterfuge. As alleged in the indictment, Douglass, a registered nurse and hospital employee, stole controlled substances from the hospitals where she worked. As further alleged in the indictment, Douglass used her position to obtain fentanyl, hydromorphone, and oxycodone. Finally, as alleged, Douglass falsely documented vital signs and fentanyl administration for a patient after the patient had been discharged from the hospital. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joe Ansari and Kayla Campbell of the Western District of Kentucky.
Angela Renfro, 57, Briana Gosnell, 35, KLF Company LLC, and Freedom Center, LLC, all of Louisville, Kentucky, were charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and health care fraud in connection with billing for services that were fraudulent, unauthorized, and in many instances, not rendered, resulting in the submission of $11,049,088.08 in fraudulent and unauthorized claims to Kentucky Medicaid, of which $10,735,081.56 was paid. As alleged in the indictment, KLF Company LLC entered into agreements with certain medical providers to provide services to its clients. As part of the conspiracy, Renfro and Gosnell used the providers' National Provider Identifiers (“NPIs”) to bill, through KLF Company LLC and Freedom Center, LLC, for peer support and psychoeducation services that were fraudulent, unauthorized and, at times, not rendered. Renfro and Gosnell were also charged with aggravated identity theft for using the APRNs’ NPI numbers without their knowledge and permission. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joe Ansari, Kayla Campbell, and David Weiser of the Western District of Kentucky, with the assistance of the Kentucky Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Einar Serrano Reyes, 35, of Opa Locka, Florida, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, health care fraud, and aggravated identity theft in connection with billing for services that were not rendered, resulting in the submission of $315,050 in false claims to Medicare. As alleged in the indictment, Reyes entered into a lease agreement on behalf of JL Serenity Center LLC for a building located in Louisville, Kentucky. As part of the conspiracy, Reyes credentialed JL Serenity Center LLC with Medicare in order to bill for medical services. As further part of the conspiracy, Reyes hired a medical doctor to allegedly oversee medical treatment at JL Serenity Center LLC. Ultimately, Reyes used the doctor’s NPI number to bill Medicare for services not rendered to any patients. Reyes is also charged with aggravated identity theft for using the name and social security number of another person without lawful authority when submitting the false Medicare claims. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joe Ansari and Kayla Campbell of the Western District of Kentucky.

Eastern District of Louisiana

Holly Broussard, 44, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with a scheme to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare, Medicaid, and other health care benefit programs for medically unnecessary respiratory pathogen panel (“RPP”) testing. As alleged in the indictment, Broussard, a sales representative for a diagnostic laboratory based in Louisiana, solicited orders for unnecessary RPP tests, to be bundled with COVID-19 tests, in order to maximize reimbursement from health care benefit programs. Broussard targeted providers in rural areas who had limited or no other options for COVID-19 testing, including nursing homes and assisted living facilities. In total, Broussard caused the submission of over $51.7 million in claims for respiratory panel testing, of which the laboratory was reimbursed over $28.4 million. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys James McHale of the National Rapid Response Strike Force and Kelly Z. Walters of the Gulf Coast Strike Force.
Dr. Christopher Whipple, 41, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was charged by indictment with health care fraud in connection with a scheme to submit at least $5,900,000 in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare. As alleged in the indictment, Whipple, a licensed physician, submitted claims on behalf of patients for care he did not provide, including billing for in-person care despite being outside the state of Louisiana, including while in Hawaii. Whipple also submitted claims using the identities of other providers without their permission and caused the submission of claims for care allegedly rendered after a patient had died. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Zakeria Haidary and Acting Assistant Chief Sara Porter of the Gulf Coast Strike Force and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey Knight of the Eastern District of Louisiana. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Giavotella of the Eastern District of Louisiana is handling asset forfeiture.

Middle District of Louisiana

Kendrick Derrell Adams, 39, of Houston, Texas, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to acquire and obtain possession of controlled substances by fraud and acquiring and obtaining possession of controlled substance by fraud in connection with a scheme to purchase controlled substances using a fraudulent prescription. As alleged in the indictment, Adams worked with others to obtain promethazine-codeine, a Schedule V controlled substance, using a fraudulent prescription. That prescription was submitted using a doctor’s stolen identity and in the name of a fake patient. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Zakeria Haidary and Acting Assistant Chief Sara Porter of the Gulf Coast Strike Force, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Thornhill of the Middle District of Louisiana.

District of Massachusetts

Bhamin Chhatrapati, 40, of Stoughton, Massachusetts, was charged by information with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with over $5.1 million fraudulently billed to Medicare, of which over $2.6 million was paid. As alleged in the information, from approximately February 2023 through September 2024, Chhatrapati and co-conspirators conspired to commit health care fraud by: working with telemarketers or call centers to obtain medical information from or about Medicare beneficiaries; using that information to prepare medical documentation for Medicare beneficiaries that made it appear that medical practitioners had legitimately prescribed medically necessary durable medical equipment (“DME”); submitting fraudulent claims to Medicare for orders for DME; receiving reimbursement from Medicare for these DME orders; and paying the telemarketers per brace order approved by Medicare. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Hoefle of the District of Massachusetts.

Eastern District of Michigan

Reno Dandy, a/k/a “RJ,” 28, of Eastpointe, Michigan, and Francina Kirk, a/k/a “Keisha,” 45, of Pontiac, Michigan, were charged in a superseding indictment with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances, and unlawful distribution of controlled substances, in connection with their roles in an unlawful scheme to distribute the Schedule II and V controlled substances oxycodone, oxycodone-acetaminophen (Percocet), hydrocodone-acetaminophen (Norco), oxymorphone, and promethazine with codeine. As alleged in the superseding indictment, medical clinics were organized and purported to operate at different locations in Southeast Michigan, including at Grace Medical Clinic, PLLC (“Grace”). Grace was operated by Dandy and Kirk, and Dr. Shakeeb Chinoy was a prescriber at Grace. Dandy, Kirk, and other co-conspirators coordinated controlled substance prescribing to Grace “patients” by, among other things, receiving “patient” information, loading “patient” information into Grace’s electronic prescribing platform, collecting payments from “patients” or patient recruiters/marketers, and sending electronic and other payments to Dr. Chinoy. From approximately November 2023 to approximately March 2024, Dr. Chinoy electronically issued controlled substance prescriptions to Grace “patients” without seeing, examining, or communicating with the “patients.” Dr. Chinoy did so as directed by, and based on patient information provided by, Dandy, Kirk, and other co-conspirators. During the conspiracy, more than 400,000 dosage units of Schedule II and Schedule V controlled substances were unlawfully prescribed, which carried an estimated wholesale street value of more than $7 million. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Youngblood and Regina R. McCullough of the Eastern District of Michigan.
Christopher Dzialo, 35, of Reno, Nevada, was charged by indictment with mail fraud and health care fraud in connection with a scheme to submit false pharmacy and medical insurance claims for high-reimbursement drugs that were never prescribed and services that were never rendered. As alleged in the indictment, between June 2023 and July 2025, Dzialo submitted at least eight fraudulent direct member reimbursement (“DMR”) claims to his insurance provider, seeking repayment for alleged out of pocket expenses. These claims were for either prescriptions he never obtained or medical procedures he never received, with an alleged value of $158,514.39. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan A. Particka and Aleksandrs K. Bomis of the Eastern District of Michigan.
Emad Hamdan, 55, of Dearborn Heights, Michigan, and Raeyfah Baiz, 41, of Canton, Michigan, were charged by separate informations with conspiracy to commit health care fraud for a pharmacy shortage scheme that caused at least $1.9 million in loss to Medicare, Medicaid, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (the “Insurers”). As alleged in the informations, Hamdan, a shadow supervisor at Medex Pharmacy (“Medex”), and Baiz, the pharmacist-in-charge at Medex, as well as others, conspired to submit false and fraudulent claims to the Insurers for prescription medications that were medically unnecessary or not actually dispensed. In many instances, Medex lacked the inventory to dispense these drugs but billed the Insurers as though they were dispensed. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Dorval Norwood of the Eastern District of Michigan.
Jason Herzog reached a civil settlement to pay $150,000 to resolve allegations that he violated the False Claims Act by submitting false claims and making false statements. As alleged, in Herzog’s former capacity as CEO of Avertest, LLC d/b/a Averhealth (“Averhealth”), a nationwide drug testing company located in Glen Allen, Virginia, Herzog knowingly submitted, or caused the submission of, false claims for payment on behalf of Averhealth to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, and knowingly made false statements material to those claims, concerning improper positive oral fluid drug test results. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Gentner of the Eastern District of Michigan.
Yolanda Matthews, 57, of Farmington Hills, Michigan, was charged by information with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with her ownership and operation of an adult day care center in Detroit, Michigan, from which she fraudulently billed Medicare for services that were not rendered to patients. As alleged in the information, Matthews was the owner, managing employee, CEO, and authorized official for New Beginnings Adult Center Inc, and conspired with others to submit at least approximately $500,000 in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Jeffrey A. Crapko of the Midwest Strike Force.
Hasan “Lucas” Seyhun, 45, of Miami, Florida, was charged by superseding indictment with conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments in connection with an alleged $566 million billing fraud related to Fast Lab Technologies. As alleged in the First Superseding Indictment, Seyhun, as Fast Lab’s Chief Operating Officer, conspired with its CEO (previously charged defendant Cemhan “Jimmy” Biricik) and Medical Director (previously charged defendant Dr. Martin Perlin) to submit health insurance claims for laboratory testing services related to Covid-19 tests that were either not rendered at all or not provided as represented. The First Superseding Indictment also charges Seyhun and Biricik with an additional conspiracy, to both conceal and subsequently launder the proceeds of the health care fraud scheme. The First Superseding Indictment includes significant forfeiture allegations, with specific allegations of property subject to forfeiture that include: a personal aircraft, six high-end vehicles, numerous bank accounts, miscellaneous jewelry and designer handbags, and a residence in Boca Raton, Florida. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Regina R. McCullough and Ryan A. Particka of the Eastern District of Michigan.
Eldar Zarbavel, 45, of Pepper Pike, Ohio, was charged by information with conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with a durable medical equipment (“DME”) fraud scheme and the laundering of funds fraudulently obtained from Medicare supplemental insurers, which was uncovered through Operation Gold Rush. As alleged in the information, in June and July 2024, Zarbavel, in conspiracy with others, facilitated the deposit and transfer of approximately $3.4 million of funds fraudulently obtained by Royce Medical Supply, LLC, from Medicare Supplemental Insurers for DME that was never dispensed. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Brant Cook of the Midwest Strike Force.
McLaren Health Care Corporation and related entities (together, “McLaren”), located in Michigan, agreed to pay a total of $1.9 million to resolve a qui tam False Claims Act lawsuit. The settlement resolves allegations that McLaren failed to timely repay overpayments from federally-funded healthcare programs during the period from January 1, 2016, through June 18, 2021. The matter is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Postulka of the Eastern District of Michigan.

Southern District of Mississippi

Lemmor Holdings, LLC d/b/a Dream Weight Clinic, located in Ridgeland, Mississippi, and its owner, Rommel Asagwara, age 42, of Kansas City, Missouri, were charged by complaint with negligently dispensing controlled substances outside the usual course of professional practice and diversion of controlled substances. As alleged in the complaint, the defendants dispensed controlled substances without a legitimate doctor-patient relationship and failed to maintain adequate records and inventory of over 433,000 controlled substance doses. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Keesha Middleton of the Southern District of Mississippi.
Clint’s Pharmacy, Inc., located in Brookhaven, Mississippi, and its owner, Clinton E. Bane, III, 66 of Brookehaven, MS, were sued in a complaint for violations of the Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”), including refusal to comply with the CSA’s recordkeeping requirements and unlawful dispensing of a controlled substance. According to the complaint, during on-site regulatory inspections, Bane and Clint’s Pharmacy could not account for approximately 11,853 controlled substance pills, including hydrocodone-acetaminophen, buprenorphine-naloxone, oxycodone, and morphine sulfate pills. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney James E. Graves, III of the Southern District of Mississippi.

District of Montana

Keri Ann Traver, 41, of Woodward, Oklahoma, and Dustin Ray Traver, 43, Woodward, Oklahoma, were charged with theft of public money and theft in connection with health care in connection with a fraudulent scheme to receive social security, SNAP, Medicare, and Medicaid benefits to which they were not entitled. The defendants allegedly misrepresented their marriage, household composition, income, and financial resources to obtain the benefits. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin M. Rubich of the District of Montana.

District of Nebraska

Angie Albert, 50, and Brent Conaway, 51, both of Hinton, Oklahoma, were charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, health care fraud, and money laundering, in connection with a scheme to bill health care benefit programs for services not rendered and to overcharge for medication. As alleged in the indictment, Albert and Conaway submitted and caused to be submitted to Medicare and Medicaid false claims for treatment with Spravato, a ketamine nasal spray. The false claims totaled approximately $4,451,498.44 and resulted in overpayments totaling approximately $976,978.82. Assets seized and subject to forfeiture to date include a motorcycle, two vehicles, and an RV. Additionally, the defendants’ residence is subject to forfeiture. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dan Packard and Kelli Ceraolo of the District of Nebraska.
Phyllis M. Rooney, 67, of Kapolei, Hawaii, was charged by information with false statements in connection with health care services related to mental health counseling services that she did not provide. The defendant caused a loss to Nebraska Medicaid of $92,582.43. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald J. Kleine of the District of Nebraska.
Cassi Wigington, 49, of Omaha, Nebraska, was charged by information with health care fraud in connection with a scheme to submit fraudulent claims to Nebraska Medicaid and other insurers for durable medical equipment, specifically, custom-made breast protheses. Wigington billed for products that patients never received, causing the submission of fraudulent claims to Nebraska Medicaid and other insurers in the amount of $445,455.37. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean P. Lynch of the District of Nebraska.

District of New Hampshire

Fructoso de Jesus Gomez Agudelo, a/k/a Jesus Gomez, 76, of Nashua, New Hampshire, was charged by indictment with wire fraud, false statements, false statements in health care matters, and aggravated identity theft in connection with his stealing a U.S. citizen’s identity for over 20 years to apply for and obtain over $500,000 of Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, housing, and SNAP benefits. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather M. Anderson and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen of the District of New Hampshire.
Kakha Bendeliani, 48, of the country of Georgia, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with a nationwide health care fraud scheme in which nearly $3 billion in claims were submitted to Medicare for durable medical equipment (“DME”)—primarily urinary catheters—that was medically unnecessary and not provided as represented. As a result of those claims, Medicare and Medicare Supplemental Insurers paid at least approximately $12,589,770 to Bendeliani’s company Centennial Med Supply LLC (“Centennial”). As alleged in the indictment, Bendeliani, the nominee owner of Centennial, allowed his personal information to be used by co-conspirators to purchase Centennial, took control of or established bank accounts for Centennial with at least six different financial institutions, and laundered the proceeds of health care fraud by withdrawing cashier’s checks that hid the source of the funds from certain Centennial bank accounts, deposited them in other Centennial bank accounts, and soon after initiated wire transfers to transfer at least approximately $12,589,770 in health care fraud proceeds overseas. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Thomas D. Campbell and John W. Howard of the New England Strike Force, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew P. Vicinanzo of the District of New Hampshire.
Goga Danelia, 37, of the country of Georgia, was charged by complaint with conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with a nationwide health care fraud scheme in which nearly $3 billion in claims were submitted to Medicare for durable medical equipment (“DME”)—primarily urinary catheters—that was medically unnecessary and not provided as represented. As a result of those claims, Medicare and Medicare Supplemental Insurers paid the fraudulent DME company Centennial Med Supply LLC (“Centennial”). As alleged in the complaint, Danelia assisted the nominee owner of Centennial in laundering proceeds of health care fraud by providing driving and English translation services for Centennial’s nominee owner while the nominee owner (1) opened accounts for Centennial at several different financial institutions; (2) withdrew health care fraud proceeds from the banks in the form of cashier’s checks; (3) deposited those checks at other Centennial bank accounts; and (4) wired those funds to overseas entities. At least approximately $13 million was wired abroad from the Centennial accounts. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Thomas D. Campbell and John W. Howard of the New England Strike Force, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew P. Vicinanzo of the District of New Hampshire.
Rima Gerges-Maalouf, 60, of Massachusetts, was charged by information with diverting controlled prescription drugs while working as a pharmacist in New Hampshire. As set forth in the plea agreement, in August 2024, Gerges-Maalouf served as a per diem pharmacist at a pharmacy in northern New Hampshire. While on duty, Gerges-Maalouf removed capsuled medication powder and prescription pills that were meant for patients and kept them for her own use. Gerges-Maalouf ingested some of the controlled substances while at work at the pharmacy. In all, Ms. Gerges-Maalouf diverted approximately 147 pills or capsules containing prescription medications during August 2024. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Vicinanzo of the District of New Hampshire.

District of New Jersey

Greelensky Charles, 40, of Union County, New Jersey, was charged by complaint with health care fraud in connection with running an unlicensed ambulance transport business that falsely billed insurers for over $11 million in services either not provided or not provided in accordance with Medicare guidelines. As alleged in the complaint, Charles directed the submission of fraudulent claims to health insurance companies, including Medicare Part C plans, for services that were either (1) not rendered; (2) provided to beneficiaries who were not-bed confined, contrary to Medicare requirements; and (3) provided using traditional passenger vehicles, instead of ambulances. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert L. Toll of the District of New Jersey.
Sherif Elmasri, 45, of Spotswood, New Jersey, was charged by information with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and conspiracy to violate the federal anti-kickback statute in connection with a health care fraud scheme that resulted in a loss of approximately $20,684,264 to Medicare and Medicaid. As alleged in the information, Elmasri, a pharmacy owner, paid illegal kickbacks and bribes to several health care providers in exchange for them issuing prescriptions for high-reimbursement medications, which Elmasri selected, to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Nicholas K. Peone, Paul J. Koob, and Kraig Ahalt of the Northeast Strike Force, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake A. Nasar of the District of New Jersey. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Ecker of the Northern District of Illinois, formerly of the District of New Jersey, previously prosecuted the case.
Jeremy James, 39, of Brooklyn, New York, was charged by complaint with health care fraud in connection with his submitting medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (“DME”) prescriptions to Medicare for reimbursement in the amount of approximately $3.7 million, of which Medicare reimbursed approximately $1.7 million. As alleged in the complaint, James owned and operated a DME company and solicited medically unnecessary DME prescriptions by contacting providers’ offices to have them sign prefilled prescription forms despite the providers never assessing the beneficiary or authorizing the prescription and despite the beneficiary not needing or requesting the DME. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake A. Nasar of the District of New Jersey.
Ashlee Maixner, 39, of Lakehurst, New Jersey, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to defraud the United States, solicit and receive kickbacks, offer and pay kickbacks, unlawfully distribute controlled substances, and two counts of soliciting and receiving a kickback in connection with a scheme that resulted in a loss of approximately $1.65 million to Medicare and Medicaid. As alleged in the indictment, Maixner, an advanced practice nurse, issued prescriptions—including prescriptions for controlled substances—to individuals based on short text message interactions with them and without assessing them. Maixner received illegal kickbacks and bribes in cash for her role in the conspiracy. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Nicholas K. Peone, Paul J. Koob, and Kraig Ahalt of the Northeast Strike Force, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake A. Nasar of the District of New Jersey. Valuable assistance in the prosecution was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Ecker of the Northern District of Illinois.

District of New Mexico

$2,017,783.31 was seized pursuant to a civil forfeiture complaint alleging that the property constitutes proceeds of a scheme to submit false and fraudulent claims to New Mexico Medicaid for Non-Emergency Medical Transport services. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Lewis of the District of New Mexico and Trial Attorney Lauren Randell of the National Rapid Response Strike Force.

Eastern District of New York

Shazia Bibi, 45, of Brooklyn, New York, Pervez Siddiqui, 78, of Randolph, New Jersey, Abdul Aziz, 50, of Valley Stream, New York, Zebun Ahmed, 58, of Brooklyn, New York, Shair Ali, 41, of Brooklyn, New York, Josna Begum, 48, of Brooklyn, New York, Saira Khatoon, 67, of East Brunswick, New Jersey, and Atia Shahnaz, 47, of Staten Island, New York, were charged by indictment. All defendants were charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States and pay and receive health care kickbacks; Bibi, Siddiqui, Aziz, and Ali were each charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and offering and paying illegal health care kickbacks; Ahmed, Begum, Khatoon, and Shahnaz were each charged with receiving illegal health care kickbacks; and Bibi, Siddiqui, Aziz, Ahmed, Begum, Khatoon, and Shahnaz were each charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering. As alleged in the indictment, Bibi and Siddiqui were co-owners of Apna Adult Daycare Inc. (“Apna”), a social adult day care (“SADC”) center with several locations in Brooklyn, New York, and they also exercised control over Ashiana Social Adult Daycare Inc. (“Ashiana”), which was also located in Brooklyn, New York, and was owned by Aziz. Ali was an employee who managed billing for Apna and Ashiana. Khatoon, Shahnaz, Ahmed, and Begum were marketers and patient recruiters. Between 2019 and 2025, Apna and Ashiana submitted more than $38 million in claims to New York Medicaid SADC services that were not provided and/or were induced by the payment of illegal kickbacks and bribes to Medicaid recipients and recruiters who referred the Medicaid recipients to the SADC centers. New York Medicaid paid the SADC centers approximately $38 million in connection with these claims. The government seized approximately $157,492 from the SADC centers and related bank accounts. The case is being prosecuted by Acting Assistant Chief Patrick J. Campbell and Trial Attorney Leonid Sandlar of the Northeast Strike Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Claire Kedeshian of the Eastern District of New York is handling asset forfeiture matters.
Zakia Noreen Khattak, 50, of Brooklyn, New York, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and pay and receive health care kickbacks, and receiving health care kickbacks in connection with a social adult day care (“SADC”) health care fraud and kickback scheme involving approximately $3.5 million in false and fraudulent claims billed to and paid by New York Medicaid. As alleged in the indictment, Khattak, a marketer and patient recruiter, referred Medicaid recipients to Healthy Adult Daycare LLC and Apna Adult Daycare of Brighton LLC in exchange for an illegal kickback, which was paid to her business entities to create the appearance of legitimacy, and then was paid in cash following her arrest in March 2025 for similar conduct involving another SADC center. The case is being prosecuted by Acting Assistant Chief Patrick J. Campbell and Trial Attorney Leonid Sandlar of the Northeast Strike Force.
Aleksei Parastatov, 50, and Ailar Smirnov, 37, both of Estonia, were charged by superseding indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud and with conspiracy to commit money laundering. As alleged in the superseding indictment, the defendants were supervisory members of a Transnational Criminal Organization, based in Russia and elsewhere, that orchestrated a multi-billion-dollar health care fraud and money laundering scheme to target, exploit, and steal from Medicare, uncovered as part of Operation Gold Rush. The Organization allegedly submitted over $10.6 billion in fraudulent Medicare claims for durable medical equipment (“DME”). To execute the scheme, the Organization purchased dozens of DME companies that already had the ability to submit claims to Medicare and Medicare Supplemental Insurers. The Organization executed these purchases by paying foreign nationals and others to serve as nominee owners of the DME Companies. The Organization then created fictitious corporate records that falsely indicated that the nominee owners controlled the DME companies when the Organization’s foreign-based leadership actually did. After the Organization gained control over the DME companies, it rapidly submitted billions of dollars in false and fraudulent health care claims to Medicare. Parastatov and Smirnov recruited, directed, instructed, and supervised the nominee owners who operated in the United States and elsewhere. Both defendants were arrested with the assistance of Estonian law enforcement. The case is being prosecuted by Acting Assistant Chief Sara Porter of the Gulf Coast Strike Force, Assistant Chief Shankar Ramamurthy of the Midwest Strike Force, and Trial Attorney Leonid Sandlar of the Northeast Strike Force.
Saad Aziz, 52, of Shirley, New York, and Zabed Chowdhury, 49, of Lake Ronkonkoma, New York, were charged by complaint with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connecting with a scheme to defraud New York Medicaid. Through a company named Tri-Hamlet Taxi Inc., the defendants paid illegal health care kickbacks and caused claims to be submitted to New York Medicaid for ambulette services to medical services that were sometimes not provided. From approximately 2018 to 2025, Tri-Hamlet billed over $18 million in false claims to New York Medicaid. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Toporovsky of the Eastern District of New York.

Northern District of New York

Aptihealth, Inc., a behavioral health telemedicine company located in Clifton Park, New York, has agreed to pay $300,000 to resolve civil allegations that the company billed Medicare and Medicaid for services not rendered and engaged in an improper gift card incentive scheme that rewarded patients for attending therapy sessions. The case is being handled by Senior Counsel Emily Auletta of the New York Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Moran of the Northern District of New York.
Joseph Carl, 55, of Clifton Park, New York, and Randolph Ekstrom, a/k/a “Randy,” 48, of Canajoharie, New York, were charged by superseding indictment with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud and conspiracy to pay health care kickbacks. As alleged in the superseding indictment, Carl and Ekstrom managed Carl’s Cab, a DBA entity owned by Carl, that was enrolled as a Medicaid transportation provider in New York State from at least January 1, 2020 through March 31, 2025. The defendants are charged with paying Medicaid recipients cash and other things of value in exchange for using Carl’s Cab to transport them to medical appointments, including methadone treatment facilities. For example, as alleged in the superseding indictment, on August 17, 2023, Carl prepared cash payments to Medicaid recipients and messaged an acquaintance, “I’m stuffing envelopes!!!!#23,500!!!” and attached a photograph showing money used for bribes. In addition, the superseding indictment alleges that on November 2, 2023, Carl prepared cash payments to Medicaid recipients and messaged an acquaintance, “Getting ready to stuff. $27,000 in envelopes for the junkies” and attached a photograph showing money used for the bribes. The superseding indictment alleges the defendants fraudulently obtained $4,296,374.02 in Medicaid reimbursements paid to Carl’s Cab over the time-period of January 1, 2020 through March 31, 2025. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin S. Clark and Adam J. Katz of the Northern District of New York.
Douglas C. Cline M.D. P.C. d/b/a Chronic Pain Management, formerly located in Queensbury, New York, its owner Dr. Douglas C. Cline, 67, of Saratoga Springs, New York, and nurse practitioner Laurie McKenna, 64, of Bolton Landing, New York, reached a civil settlement to pay $500,000 to resolve allegations that they prescribed high-dose opioids and other controlled substances to patients without adequate medical oversight, that they tied continued access to prescriptions to recurring cash payments, and that Dr. Cline fraudulently transferred assets to avoid payment of a potential judgment. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher R. Moran and Adam J. Katz of the Northern District of New York.
Muhammad Zishan, a/k/a “Sean,” a/k/a “Shaun,” a/k/a “Shawn,” 47, of Glens Falls, New York, Madiha Javed, a/k/a “Maddie,” 34, of Glens Falls, New York, and Ghazali Shaikh, 21, of Latham, New York, were charged by superseding indictment with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud and Zishan and Javed were charged with conspiracy to pay health care kickbacks. As alleged in the superseding indictment, Zishan, Javed, and Shaikh managed Latham Taxi Inc., which was enrolled as a Medicaid transportation provider in New York State from at least January 1, 2020 through February 28, 2025. The superseding indictment alleges Zishan and Javed conspired to pay Medicaid recipients cash, controlled substances, and other things of value in exchange for using Latham Taxi Inc. to transport them to medical appointments, including methadone treatment facilities. In addition, all three defendants are charged with conspiring to falsify trip data to fraudulently obtain Medicaid reimbursement by overbilling for services provided and billing for services that were not provided at all. The superseding indictment alleges the defendants fraudulently obtained $666,281.42 in Medicaid reimbursements paid to Latham Taxi Inc. over the time period of January 1, 2020 through February 28, 2025. According to statements made by prosecutors at Shaikh’s arraignment on June 22, 2026, federal agents seized over $30,000 in cash and precious metals they contend are proceeds of the offenses during the execution of a search warrant at Shaikh’s residence. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin S. Clark and Adam J. Katz of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York.

Southern District of New York

Rodney Greer, 51, of Chicago, Illinois, was charged by complaint with health care fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft in connection with a scheme in which he made false statements and falsely posed as physicians as a means to fraudulently obtain prescription drugs for others in exchange for money. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon C. Thompson of the Southern District of New York.
Victor Gribenko, 74, of Brooklyn, New York was charged by information with distribution and dispensation of narcotics and controlled substances. Gribenko unlawfully distributed oxycodone not for a legitimate medical purpose or within the usual course of professional practice. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Nees of the Southern District of New York.

Eastern District of North Carolina

Murad “Mike” Ayyad, 45, of Roswell, Georgia, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks and to defraud the United States, payment and receipt of remuneration, and making and using false documents, all in connection with a scheme to submit fraudulent claims for laboratory testing. Through Andor Labs, LLC, Minerva Genetics, LLC, and other entities, Ayyad caused the submission of fraudulent claims for cancer genomic testing, toxicology screening, and COVID-19 testing to Medicare, the Health Resources Services Administration, TRICARE, and other payers, resulting in over $15 million in payments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Kasper of the Eastern District of North Carolina.
James Thomas Foley, 45, of Youngsville, North Carolina, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and payment of unlawful remuneration in connection with a scheme to submit fraudulent claims for unnecessary durable medical equipment (“DME”). Through London Medical Supply, LLC and other entities, Foley caused the submission of fraudulent claims for pneumatic compression devices and other DME to Medicare, TRICARE, and CHAMPVA, resulting in over $14.5 million in payments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Beraka of the Eastern District of North Carolina.
Tristan Bishop Pan, 44, of Garner, North Carolina, was charged by indictment with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with a scheme to submit fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loan applications using the stolen identity of medical doctors. As alleged in the indictment, Pan submitted fraudulent applications using the names and other identifying information of medical doctors, such as their driver’s license and passport, and submitted false documents in support of the applications, including fake IRS forms and bank statements. In total, Pan fraudulently sought at least $1.2 million in PPP loans and obtained at least $742,000 in loan funds. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Zakeria Haidary of the Gulf Coast Strike Force, Assistant Chief Justin Woodard of the National Rapid Response Strike Force, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan Ontjes of the Eastern District of North Carolina.

Middle District of North Carolina

Deborah Lanell White, 54, of McLeansville, North Carolina, was charged by complaint with health care fraud in connection with a multi-year scheme to defraud North Carolina Medicaid. As alleged in the complaint, White, the owner of Reginald Center of Turn Around, billed North Carolina Medicaid for thousands of fictious drug tests resulting in a loss of $2.8 million dollars. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric L. Iverson of the Middle District of North Carolina.

Western District of North Carolina

Ronnie Lorenzo Robinson, Jr., 56, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was charged by indictment with health care fraud, false statements relating to health care matters, and aggravated identity theft in connection with a scheme to defraud the North Carolina Medicaid program by submitting claims for psychotherapy services that were never provided to North Carolina Medicaid recipients. As alleged in the indictment, Robinson, the beneficial owner of a company called The Fisher of Men Project, LLC, obtained the personal identifying information of medical professionals and Medicaid recipients, then used that information to submit approximately $735,000 in false claims for payment without the knowledge, authorization, or approval of those medical professionals or Medicaid recipients, for which Robinson’s company was paid approximately $440,000. As further alleged, Robinson concealed his ownership of the company because he had previously been excluded from Medicaid, and instead held out another individual as the owner of the company. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Armstrong and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina Fleisch of the Western District of North Carolina.

Northern District of Ohio

Dr. Stanley Meckler, DDS, 72, of Pepper Pike, Ohio, who owned and operated Family Dental Care, located in Parma, Ohio, reached a civil settlement to pay $500,000 to resolve allegations that he submitted claims to Ohio Medicaid for services provided by a different dentist who was excluded from participating in Medicaid. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Deucher of the Northern District of Ohio and Ohio’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

Northern District of Oklahoma

Jeremy Michael Bowles, 41, of Bixby, Oklahoma was charged by indictment with health care fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud Medicare and Medicaid by submitting claims for reimbursement for COVID-19 tests allegedly supplied to beneficiaries, when those tests had not in fact been requested or received by the beneficiaries in question. Bowles was the operator of three pharmacies and submitted the false claims on behalf of those pharmacies which he controlled. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Greenough of the Northern District of Oklahoma.

Western District of Oklahoma

Judy D. Dennis M.S., C.C.C./SLP, 83, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, was charged by civil complaint with violating the False Claims Act, the Oklahoma Medicaid False Claims Act, federal common law, and Oklahoma common law in connection with the submission of more than $2.5 million in false and fraudulent claims for speech-language pathology services. As alleged in the complaint, Dennis, a licensed speech-language pathologist, knowingly presented, or caused to be presented, materially false and fraudulent claims for payment or approval to the United States and the State of Oklahoma, including claims for reimbursement submitted to Medicare, Oklahoma Medicaid, and TRICARE, for services that were not rendered, were not medically reasonable and necessary, and/or did not comply with program requirements. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda R. Johnson and Ronald R. Gallegos of the Western District of Oklahoma and Assistant Attorneys General Jamie L. Bloyd and Annette Howlett of the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Stewart Johnson, 72, and Stephen Johnson, 47, of Lawton, Oklahoma, were charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering in connection with a scheme to defraud TRICARE of more than $27 million. As alleged in the indictment, the Johnsons operated a durable medical equipment company named Combined Home Medical Equipment that offered Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (“CPAP”) machines. From January 2018 through December 2024, the defendants submitted fraudulent claims to TRICARE for in-person CPAP-related services that the defendants did not provide and were not qualified to provide. In total, the defendants submitted claims for more than 650,000 separate in-person CPAP-related services and received approximately $27 million in reimbursements. The defendants used the proceeds to purchase, among other things, residential properties and numerous vehicles. Prior to the indictment, investigators successfully seized more than $1.6 million in U.S. currency and 12 vehicles from the defendants. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney D.H. Dilbeck of the Western District of Oklahoma.

District of Oregon

Jahangeer Ali, 34, a citizen of Pakistan, was charged by information with health care fraud. As alleged in court documents, Ali owned Oregon Clinical Laboratory, a company that submitted fraudulent claims of genetic testing to Medicare Advantage plans resulting in a loss of over $15 million. The beneficiaries and physicians listed on the fraudulent claims had never heard of Oregon Clinical Laboratory and the genetic testing was never provided. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Ho and Bryan Chinwuba of the District of Oregon.
Mehrdad Gerami, 67, of Coos Bay, Oregon, was charged by information with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with medical sleep study testing resulting in a loss of at least $2,124,363.41. As alleged in the information, Gerami owned and operated Coastal Diagnostic Testing Group and Coastal Diagnostic, both of which engaged in submitting fraudulent claims to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the Veterans Health Administration, and private insurance companies for sleep tests allegedly conducted in office when, in fact, they were conducted either at home or not at all. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Huynh of the District of Oregon.

Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Dr. Joseph P. Direnzo, Jr., 64, of Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, Dr. Marc A. Matozzo, 56, of Woodbury, New Jersey, and Joseph D. Norris, P.A., 62, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, were charged by indictment with conspiracy to unlawfully distribute controlled substances. Direnzo and Matozzo were also each charged with two counts of unlawful distribution of controlled substances. Norris was also charged with two counts of unlawful distribution of controlled substances and one count of false statements related to health care matters. As alleged in the indictment, from January 2020 through March 2025, the defendants operated a voicemail refill line that allowed patients to request and receive refills of Schedule II controlled substance prescriptions, namely oxycodone and amphetamine, without ever interacting with a licensed and registered prescriber. The defendants prescribed to patients who used the refill line to receive prescriptions for controlled substances for up to and, in some instances, exceeding one year without interacting with a licensed prescriber. The defendants knew that certain pharmacies refused to fill certain of their controlled substances prescriptions, but defendants submitted the refused prescriptions to other pharmacies and submitted prescriptions in the name of another medical professional in order to deceive the pharmacies into filling the prescriptions. Defendants received notice from pharmacy benefit managers and insurers that the defendants had prescribed dangerous amounts of Schedule II controlled substances and dangerous combinations of controlled substances and other medications, but they continued to prescribe these medicines. Some patients who used the refill line to obtain Schedule II controlled substances from defendants suffered drug overdoses and died. Although defendants learned of the overdoses and deaths, they continued to operate the refill line to prescribe Schedule II controlled substances without interacting with patients. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Paul J. Koob and Nicholas K. Peone of the Northeast Strike Force and Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Claiborne Bisio of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Middle District of Pennsylvania

Kerry Ann Elliott Beaubrun, 43, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was charged by information with conspiracy to commit bank fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud by stealing and appropriating checks intended to be sent by Entity #1 to various payees, including those for which funds were derived from federal health care programs, including Medicaid and Medicare, for a loss of over $300,000 dollars. As alleged in the information, Beaubrun, a conspirator in this scheme, unjustly enriched herself by endorsing checks to herself that were meant for others, defrauding multiple banks and utilizing funds for her own personal expenses. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Luisa Honora Berti of the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

Western District of Pennsylvania

Abdou Jallow, 55, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Alicia Mastrantoni, 39, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, were charged by complaint with food stamp fraud in connection with exchanging supplemental nutrition assistance program (“SNAP”) benefits for cash. As alleged in the complaint, Jallow, manager of a 7-Eleven in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Mastrantoni, an employee of the same 7-Eleven, exchanged SNAP benefits for cash with various store customers, many of whom used the cash to purchase controlled substances. Jallow and Mastrantoni attempted to conceal the nature of these transactions by using fraudulent universal product codes (“UPCs”) on the store’s cash register. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Stockey of the Western District of Pennsylvania.

District of Puerto Rico

Carlos Andres Rendon Bermudez, 32, of Columbus, Ohio, and Jandiel Santos Rodriguez, 22, of San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico, were charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, and misbranding of devices in connection with a scheme and artifice to defraud to perform dental services without proper licensing. Rendon Bermudez was also charged with making false statements. As alleged in the indictment, Rendon Bermudez performed dental procedures on patients without a valid license to practice dentistry. These procedures included application of braces, teeth whitening, dental cleaning, veneer application, and addressing cavities. He also ground patients’ teeth using an electric grinding tool, administered anesthesia to patients, and provided prescription antibiotics following dental procedures. Santos Rodriguez was Rendon Bermudez’s representative in Puerto Rico and coordinated dental appointments. He advertised dental services on social media and told patients that Rendon Bermudez was a licensed dentist. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose A. Contreras of the District of Puerto Rico.
Josue Saez Rodriguez, 42, and Chancey Irmaries Olmed Perez, 40, both of Comerio, Puerto Rico, were charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and misbranding of devices in connection with a fraudulent scheme involving medications including Semaglutide, Mounjaro, steroids, and Tirzepatide. Saez Rodriguez was also charged with possession with intent to distribute anabolic steroids. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose A. Contreras of the District of Puerto Rico.

District of Rhode Island

Mareli Arias Batista, 57, of Providence, Rhode Island, was charged by indictment with false representation of a social security number, aggravated identity theft, wire fraud, false statement in application for a passport, use of a false passport, and bank fraud, in connection with a scheme to obtain benefits using the identity of another person. Among other benefits, Batista fraudulently obtained approximately $28,236.42 in Rhode Island Medicaid benefits. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney John M. Moreira of the District of Rhode Island.
Balni Pimentel Lara, 59 years old, of Providence, Rhode Island, was charged by indictment with false representation of a social security number, aggravated identity theft, wire fraud, and health care fraud, in connection with a scheme to obtain benefits using the identity of another person. Among other benefits, Lara fraudulently obtained approximately $24,018.86 in Rhode Island Medicaid benefits. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney John M. Moreira of the District of Rhode Island and the Social Security Administration.

District of South Carolina

Ruth Miranda Carrier, 72, of St John’s Island, South Carolina, was charged by indictment with theft of government property, Supplemental Security Income (“SSI”) fraud, and material false statement. As alleged in the indictment, Carrierre applied for and received SSI and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP”) payments under her alias, Ruth M. Singleton.The indictment alleges that from January 1, 2009, until April 2026, Carrierre received SSI benefit payments under the name Ruth Singleteon or Ruth Weber in a total amount of $54,206.24. The indictment also alleges from May 2022, until April 2026, Carrierre received SNAP benefit payments under the name Ruth Singleton in a total amount of $7,232. By using an alias and concealing her real identity, Carrierre received fraudulent payments totaling $63,492.24. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kerry McTigue and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dean Secor of the District of South Carolina.
Herb Kimble, 60, of the Philippines, was charged by indictment with failure to appear in connection with his pending criminal case. On June 4, the FBI announced the creation of the Most Wanted Fraudsters List. The list included Herb Kimble, a fugitive in a $1.2 billion telemedicine and durable medical equipment scheme, who—just days later—was apprehended in the Philippines. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Samantha Usher of the District of South Carolina.
Misty Dawn Woody, 47, of Easley, South Carolina, was charged by indictment with false statements related to health care matters. As alleged in the indictment, Woody worked as an employee for Vital Care, a non-emergency ambulance service company, and was responsible for obtaining physician certifications that the non-emergency transports of their patients were medically necessary. The indictment alleges that from on or about February 1, 2022 through on or about September 30, 2025, Woody copied and forged a physician’s signature without authority on over one hundred certification forms for patients that were no longer under that physician’s care. The forms containing copied and forged signatures were then submitted to Medicare, causing over $1.8 million in false and fraudulent claims, of which Medicare paid Vital Care over $936,000. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Matthews and Lothrop Morris and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Samantha Usher of the District of South Carolina.

District of South Dakota

NeuroSolutions 100, LLC, located in Dallas, Texas, and its owner, Michael Bingham, age 72, of Laurel Springs, North Carolina, were sued in a complaint alleging violations of the False Claims Act in connection with a scheme to submit false claims to Medicare for $1.1 million for devices that were not provided to beneficiaries, of which more than $547,000 was paid. As alleged in the complaint, the defendants improperly billed Medicare for invasive surgical procedures involving the implantation of electro-neurostimulators, when in fact they provided temporary, electro-acupuncture devices applied behind the patient’s ear using an adhesive and/or with needles inserted into the patient’s ear similar to acupuncture, which are not covered by Medicare. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Weyer of the District of South Dakota.

Middle District of Tennessee

Ramon Aquino, 77, of Clarksville, Tennessee, was charged by information with health care fraud in connection with a multi-year scheme in which he distributed over 1.08 million pills/doses of controlled substances to patients, despite the fact many of these prescriptions were not issued for a legitimate medical purpose in the usual course of professional practice. As alleged in the information, Aquino, as the owner and operator of North Clarksville Medical Center: prescribed medically unnecessary controlled substances to patients for more than five years; prescribed excessive and inappropriate quantities and combinations of controlled substances that caused medically unnecessary prescriptions to be issued to patients, which led to patient abuse, misuse, and addiction to the controlled substances; failed to monitor the use and abuse of prescribed controlled substances by his patients; and continued to excessively and inappropriately prescribe controlled substances even after receiving warnings regarding his prescribing practices. Aquino’s conduct caused a loss of approximately $335,621.73 to health care benefit programs. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Suedekum of the Middle District of Tennessee.
Dr. Angela Moss, 55, of Gordonsville, Tennessee, was charged by indictment with health care fraud and unlawful distribution of controlled substances in connection with a multi-year scheme in which Dr. Moss allegedly distributed over 5.6 million pills or doses of controlled substances to patients, including opioids and benzodiazepines, despite the fact that many of these prescriptions were not issued for a legitimate medical purpose in the usual course of professional practice. As alleged in the indictment, Dr. Moss, the owner and operator of Gordonsville Clinic PLLC, prescribed medically unnecessary controlled substances to patients for more than eight years; prescribed excessive and inappropriate quantities and combinations of controlled substances that caused medically unnecessary prescriptions to be issued to patients, which led to patient abuse, misuse, and addiction to the controlled substances; failed to monitor the use and abuse of prescribed controlled substances by her patients; and continued to excessively and inappropriately prescribe controlled substances even after receiving warnings from numerous sources, including from the Tennessee Department of Health, regarding her prescribing practices. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Suedekum of the Middle District of Tennessee.

Western District of Tennessee

Heather May Wilbanks Greene, 40, of Lepanto, Arkansas, was charged by indictment with identity theft and wire fraud in connection with a multi-year scheme to impersonate a registered nurse and obtain employment across Tennessee and Arkansas. As alleged in the indictment, from September 2020 through October 2023, Greene practiced as a registered nurse using the stolen license numbers of two registered nurses in Tennessee. Greene submitted false resumes misrepresenting her education, experience and licensure status to obtain employment at more than 30 different health care facilities including nursing homes and correctional institutions. As a result of the fraud, Greene received $200,000 in wages and compensation to which she was not legally entitled. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Raney Irwin of the Western District of Tennessee.

Northern District of Texas

Devin Jack Brodman, 32, of Coconut Creek, Florida, was charged by information with conspiracy to defraud the United States and paying and receiving kickbacks in connection with the submission of fraudulent claims by two North Texas labs to Medicare for laboratory testing services, including genetic testing. As alleged in the Information, Brodman, who co-owned Neva Diagnostics and Areahou Diagnostics, billed Medicare for laboratory testing services that were ineligible for reimbursement and were ordered and procured through kickbacks and bribes. He allegedly concealed the submission of the fraudulent claims to Medicare. In total, the two labs billed Medicare approximately $65 million for laboratory testing services and were paid approximately $43 million. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marty Basu of the Northern District of Texas.
Kevin Darnell Curry, 63, of Frisco, Texas, was charged by indictment with health care fraud, paying illegal kickbacks and bribes, and engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property in connection with a scheme to defraud TRICARE by fraudulently billing for transcranial magnetic stimulation (“TMS”) treatments that were not provided, not provided as represented, medically unnecessary, induced by the payment of illegal kickbacks and bribes, and/or otherwise ineligible for reimbursement by TRICARE. As alleged in the indictment, Curry, the owner and operator of Acuity TMS, submitted and caused the submission of approximately $26,878,282 in false and fraudulent claims to TRICARE, of which approximately $17,075,566 was paid. Assets valued at approximately $200,000 were seized as part of the case, including $136,022 in cash and a 2024 gold Tesla Cybertruck Curry purchased with proceeds from his fraudulent scheme. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan Womble of the Northern District of Texas and Trial Attorney Yael Mash of the Texas Strike Force.
Dr. Olubayo Idowu, 75, of Desoto, Texas, Dr. James Lou Carlisle Jr., 53, of Southlake, Texas, and Vaughn Anthony Brozek, 56, of Hurst, Texas, were charged by superseding indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud Medicare and other health care benefit programs through the submission of more than $25 million in false and fraudulent medical claims for electroencephalography (“EEG”) testing. As alleged in the superseding indictment, Idowu and Carlisle, both physicians, and Brozek, a nurse practitioner, conspired to unlawfully enrich themselves from 2020 until at least 2023 by accepting kickbacks and bribes for patient EEG testing that was medically unnecessary. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas B. Brasher of the Northern District of Texas.
Catherine Nkeiru Maduka, 66, of Garland, Texas, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and health care fraud in connection with a hospice scheme, which resulted in over $3.1 million in false claims being submitted to Medicare. As alleged in the indictment, Maduka, the owner and CEO of Saint Catherine’s Hospice, recruited patients who were ineligible for hospice care and billed Medicare for services that were never provided. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas B. Brasher of the Northern District of Texas.
Jason Charles Mareno, 52, of Irving, Texas, David Lee Lloyd, 56, of Meridian, Mississippi, Jason Kashou, 40, of Coral Springs, Florida, and Duc Ngoc Ly, a/k/a Michael Ly, 52, of Frisco, Texas, were charged by superseding indictment with conspiracy to violate the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute in connection with a scheme to bill Medicare for COVID-19 test kits. As alleged in the superseding indictment, the defendants provided Medicare beneficiary information to two coconspirators who own lab businesses, who in turn used that information to bill Medicare for COVID-19 test kits they sent to the beneficiaries who had not requested them and in some cases to beneficiaries who were deceased. The lab owners then kicked back a portion of the Medicare reimbursement to the defendants in cash and through a series of financial transactions designed to conceal the kickbacks. As a result of the scheme, the defendant and their coconspirators caused more than $73 million in fraudulent claims to be submitted to Medicare for COVID-19 test kits. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas B. Brasher of the Northern District of Texas.
Michael McMillan, 55, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was charged by indictment with health care fraud, offer and payment of illegal kickbacks and bribes, and engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property in connection with the submission of approximately $268 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare and other government healthcare benefit programs related to wound care products. As alleged in the indictment, McMillan, the owner of Protectus LLC and related entities, offered various skin substitute products to physicians and medical providers under an illegal kickback arrangement that guaranteed that medical providers profited thousands of dollars for every skin substitute claim the providers billed the government programs. Disguising the kickbacks as rebates or discounts, McMillan and Protectus received approximately $174 million. Assets valued at approximately $35 million were seized as part of the case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marty Basu and Chad Meacham of the Northern District of Texas.
Neel Vivek Paithankar, 25, of Irving, Texas, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and health care fraud in connection with a scheme to submit approximately $2.3 million of false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (“DME”). As alleged in the indictment, Paithankar, owner of VMP Health Care LLC, facilitated the solicitation of Medicare beneficiaries through telemarketers posing as Medicare representatives offering free DME. He then shipped the DME to Medicare beneficiaries who either did not need and/or did not want the products. In total, VMP Health Care LLC submitted approximately 3,700 false claims to Medicare, for which Medicare paid $1.2 million. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elise Aldendifer of the Northern District of Texas.

Southern District of Texas

Princepaul Agbonlahor, 51, of Katy, Texas, Ginger Ruffin, 46, of Conroe, Texas, Nekewon Konah, 51, of Katy, Texas, Stephanie Harris, 37, of Pearland, Texas, and Takiya Caradine, 33, of Houston, Texas, were charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, health care fraud, and false statements relating to health care matters in connection with a $16 million Medicaid fraud scheme. As alleged in the indictment, Agbonlahor was the owner of Lahor Behavioral Services, LLC and billed Medicaid for mental health services for minors that did not occur and/or were not overseen by a Licensed Practitioner of the Healing Arts (“LPHA”), causing Medicaid to pay Lahor approximately $8 million. The indictment alleges that Lahor counselors, including Ruffin, Konah, Harris, and Caradine, created fake visit notes and falsified their timesheets to cover up Agbonlahor’s fraudulent Medicaid billing. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Olson of the Southern District of Texas.
Tonya Crowder, 49, Missouri City, Texas, Marlene Durham, 55, Humble, Texas, and Demetrius Onuaguluchi, 34, Houston, Texas were charged by indictment with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and distribution of controlled substances in connection with the operation of two pill mill clinics in Houston, Texas and a pill mill pharmacy in Conroe, Texas. As alleged in the indictment, Crowder, Durham, and Onuaguluchi participated in a scheme to unlawfully distribute and dispense controlled substances in exchange for cash the clinics and the pharmacy. As alleged in the indictment, Crowder and Durham were the managers of two pill mill clinics that issued prescriptions for over 2 million pills of oxycodone 30mg, over 900,000 pills of hydrocodone 10/325mg, and over 500,000 pills of carisoprodol 350mg prescriptions. As alleged in the indictment, Onuaguluchi was a pharmacist that worked closely with these two clinics and dispensed over 68,000 pills of oxycodone 30mg, over 41,000 pills of hydrocodone 10/325mg, and over 28,000 pills of carisoprodol 350mg prescriptions based on prescriptions issued by Durham and Crowder’s clinics. The indictment included over $80,000 in cash seized from one clinic and one residence and a property connected to the drug diversion. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander Alum and Kathryn Olson of the Southern District of Texas.
Luther Johnson III, 48, of Houston, Texas, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and two counts of health care fraud, in connection with the submission of approximately $3 million in false and fraudulent claims submitted by Advanced Functional Rehab (“AFR”) to the Department of Labor, Office of Workers’ Compensation (“DOL-OWCP”), for physical and massage therapy which was not provided, not provided as billed, or otherwise ineligible for reimbursement, of which approximately $2.7 million was paid. As alleged in the indictment, Johnson did not hold a chiropractor’s license but nonetheless held himself out to patients and others as a chiropractor. Together with his co-conspirator, he submitted claims for one-on-one physical therapy purportedly provided to injured federal workers when no medical providers were present, and when the patients were socializing, playing with their phones, watching television, or independently exercising. AFR also billed DOL-OWCP for one-on-one massage therapy which was self-performed by patients using massage guns. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Emily Reeder-Ricchetti of the Texas Strike Force.
Pleshette Johnson-Wiggins, a licensed chiropractor, 51, of Fort Bend County, Texas, was charged by information with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with the submission of approximately $3 million in false and fraudulent claims submitted by Advanced Functional Rehab (“AFR”) to the Department of Labor, Office of Workers’ Compensation (“DOL-OWCP”), for physical and massage therapy which was not provided, not provided as billed, or otherwise ineligible for reimbursement, of which approximately $2.7 million was paid. As alleged in the information, as AFR’s enrolled provider, Dr. Johnson-Wiggins conspired with others to submit claims for one-on-one physical therapy purportedly provided to injured federal workers when no medical providers were present, and when the patients were socializing, playing with their phones, watching television, or independently exercising. AFR also billed DOL-OWCP for one-on-one massage therapy that was self-performed by patients using massage guns. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Emily Reeder-Ricchetti of the Texas Strike Force.
Marizel Yukee, 49, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud, health care fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and offer, pay, solicit, and receive illegal health care kickbacks, and transactional money laundering in connection with an alleged $906 million scheme to defraud Medicare and TRICARE by billing for medically unnecessary amniotic wound allografts that were procured through illegal kickbacks and bribes. As alleged in the indictment, Yukee, a nurse practitioner, through four mobile wound clinics she owned in four different states, targeted elderly Medicare patients, many of whom were terminally ill in hospice care, to cause unnecessary and expensive allografts to be applied to these vulnerable patients’ wounds without attempting, completing, or confirming conservative wound care treatment. Yukee allegedly caused allografts to be applied to infected wounds, to wounds that had already healed, and to wounds that were not responding to the allografts. Yukee also allegedly falsified patient medical records to make it appear as though applications of allografts were medically reasonable and necessary and met Medicare requirements. Yukee caused kickbacks to be paid to induce patient referrals and solicited kickbacks in exchange for purchasing allografts. In total, Yukee allegedly caused over approximately $906 million in false and fraudulent claims to be billed to Medicare and TRICARE, of which approximately $297 million was paid. Assets valued at approximately $35.2 million were seized as part of this investigation, including $467,000 in cash, eight vehicles (including a Ferrari 296 GTS purchased for $594,000), and jewelry (including a Bulgari necklace purchased for $865,000). The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Adam Tisdall of the Texas Strike Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristine Rollinson and Elizabeth Wyman of the Southern District of Texas are handling asset forfeiture.

Western District of Texas

Christina Charles, 52, of San Antonio, Texas, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to defraud the United States and to solicit and receive health care kickbacks in connection with a hospice fraud scheme. As alleged in the indictment, Charles received illegal kickbacks in return for referring patients to multiple San Antonio area hospice companies. Based on those referrals, Charles caused the submission of over $9 million in claims for hospice services that were procured through illegal kickbacks and bribes and ineligible for Medicare reimbursement. Medicare paid approximately $3 million based on those claims. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Chung of the Western District of Texas.
Ellen B. Duncan, M.D., of Boerne, Texas, and her practice entity, Ellen Boyle Duncan, PLLC d/b/a Duncan Medical Group, located in San Antonio, Texas, reached a civil settlement to pay $3,440,538.65 to resolve allegations that Dr. Duncan: (i) caused the submission of claims to Medicare and TRICARE for injections of Fluid Flow, aka Fluid GF, an amniotic-based product that is considered experimental, unapproved biologic; and (ii) upon being later informed this product was not eligible for reimbursement, took steps to avoid repayment of the reimbursements. The case was settled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin M. Van De Walle of the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit for the Western District of Texas.
Trevor’s Place LLC, an applied behavioral analysis (“ABA”) clinic located in Killeen, Texas, agreed to entry of a $430,280.79 civil consent judgment to resolve allegations the company submitted inflated claims for reimbursement to the TRICARE program by misrepresenting and billing for services not provided. The case was settled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Parnham for the Western District of Texas.

District of Vermont

Taina Moore, 30, of Miami, Florida, was charged by information with conspiracy to pay health care kickbacks. Moore was the owner of durable medical equipment (“DME”) company Med Dept Inc. After obtaining the identities of individuals residing in Vermont, and elsewhere in the United States, Moore, using Med Dept, submitted claims to Medicare for DME induced by the payment of illegal kickbacks. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Sarah Rocha of the New England Strike Force.

Eastern District of Virginia

Jair Barbour, 37, of Henrico, Virginia, was charged by information with making false statements relating to health care matters in connection with fraudulently billing Medicaid for mental health services totaling $345,670.93. As alleged in the criminal information, Barbour, a qualified mental health provider, submitted hundreds of falsified progress notes describing mental health sessions that never occurred, dramatically overstated the number of hours she worked, and documented services that were impossible due to overlapping or conflicting times. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Day of the Eastern District of Virginia.
Mikia Noble, 37, of North Chesterfield, Virginia, was charged by information with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with a crisis mental health services fraud scheme on Virginia Medicaid. As alleged in the information, Noble, the Chief Operating Officer of Advancing Communities Everywhere, conspired with others to target low-income, often homeless, Medicaid recipients by purporting to provide those recipients with mental health services that the recipients did not receive and often did not need. Noble and others submitted approximately $49.6 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicaid, of which approximately $38.6 million was paid. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Zachary H. Ray and Lauren Randell of the National Rapid Response Strike Force, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Day of the Eastern District of Virginia.
Abdul Rehman Sirhandi, 57, of Aldie, Virginia, was charged by information with conspiring to make false statements in health care fraud matters in connection with a durable medical equipment (“DME”) fraud scheme. As alleged in the information, Sirhandi acted as the straw owner of a DME company, Pulse Medical Supply, and conspired with others in Texas and Pakistan to submit approximately $780,627 in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, of which approximately $313,233 was paid. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Zachary H. Ray of the National Rapid Response Strike Force and Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell L. Carlberg of Eastern District of Virginia.

Western District of Virginia

Negril Incorporated and its owners, Tammy Wright and Kirby Warren (deceased), were sued in a complaint alleging civil violations of the False Claims Act and the Virginia Fraud Against Taxpayers Act. As alleged in the complaint, from January 2021 through May 2022, submitted and caused the submission of false claims for mental health skill building services to the Virginia Medicaid Program under the National Provider Identification (“NPI”) number associated with Negril. The company actually providing the services, however, did not have its own NPI and was neither credentialed through the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services nor enrolled as a Medicaid provider. Under the agreed-upon billing arrangement, Negril billed Medicaid for the services, paid the other company 75% of the Medicaid reimbursement, and kept 25% for itself. The alleged scheme resulted in $4,552,565.54 being paid by Medicaid. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew G. Howells of the Western District of Virginia with substantial assistance from the Virginia Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

Northern District of West Virginia

Dr. Jorge Roig, 58, of Weirton, West Virginia, has agreed to pay $165,900.00 to resolve civil allegations that he violated the Controlled Substances Act by using pre-signed, invalid prescriptions that were issued outside the usual course of his professional practice to his patients in West Virginia while he was traveling and not in close proximity to his office there and by collecting controlled substances without modifying his registration to become authorized as a collector and without keeping records of the disposal of controlled substances. The case was settled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie K. Savino of the Northern District of West Virginia.
Dr. Muhammad Salman, 64, of Bridgeport, West Virginia, has agreed to pay $325,000 to resolve civil allegations that while he was traveling and away from his medical office, he submitted false claims to Medicare and Medicaid and violated the Controlled Substances Act by dispensing drugs through Bridgeport Pharmacy, which he owns, using pre-signed, invalid prescriptions outside the usual course of his professional practice to his patients in West Virginia. The case was settled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie K. Savino of the Northern District of West Virginia, with assistance from the West Virginia Attorney General’s Office, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

Southern District of West Virginia

Helen Crutcher Meadows, 49, of Tampa, Florida, was charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. As alleged in the complaint, Meadows, was the collector supervisor at Lifehouse, Inc., a non-profit, long-term, faith-based substance abuse recovery program headquartered in Huntington, Cabell County, West Virginia. Lifehouse served as a sober living community and received expense reimbursements through both state and federal government grant programs. Meadows was also the wife of Lifehouse founder and director, Raymond Meadows. She conspired with her husband and another individual to falsify and submit timesheets to a testing laboratory for drug testing work not actually performed. The scheme consisted of Helen Meadows routinely billing 32 hours of overtime each week for months at a time, as well as billing for hours when she was with her husband, Raymond Meadows, on out-of-state vacations. The laboratory issued payments based on the fraudulent billings and subsequently obtained reimbursement from federal and state health care programs. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Storage of the Southern District of West Virginia.
Raymond “Rocky” Meadows II, 52, of Huntington, West Virginia, was charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. As alleged in the complaint, Meadows was founder and director of Lifehouse, Inc., a non-profit, long-term, faith-based substance abuse recovery program headquartered in Huntington, Cabell County, West Virginia. Lifehouse served as a sober living community and received reimbursements through both state and federal government grant programs. Meadows conspired with his wife and another individual to falsify and submit timesheets to a testing laboratory for drug testing work not actually performed. The scheme included Meadows’s wife routinely billing 32 hours of overtime each week for months at a time, as well as billing for hours when she was with him on out-of-state vacations. The laboratory issued payments based on the fraudulent billings and subsequently obtained reimbursement from federal and state health care programs. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Storage of the Southern District of West Virginia.
West Virginia Sleep Centers, LLC, a West Virginia sleep laboratory located in Beckley, West Virginia, reached a civil settlement to pay $120,000 to resolve allegations that the company submitted claims for payment to Medicaid and the Veterans Administration Community Health program for sleep studies and polysomnogram reports that were prepared and signed by unqualified, non-physician staff during the period from January 1, 2016 through January 9, 2020. The case was settled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Neil of the Southern District of West Virginia.

Eastern District of Wisconsin

Jasmine Cooper, 37, of Brown Deer, Wisconsin, was charged by information with health care fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with a scheme to defraud Wisconsin Medicaid. Cooper, who was authorized to run a prenatal care coordination agency to assist at risk pregnant women and women with children, submitted thousands of false claims in which she claimed her company provided much-needed services that beneficiaries never received. Throughout the scheme, Cooper misstated the duration, frequency, date, and nature of services provided. As a result of the scheme, Cooper submitted over $5.8 million in fraudulent claims to Wisconsin Medicaid, of which over $5.4 million was paid. Cooper’s charges come on the heels of four similar schemes charged by the Eastern District of Wisconsin totaling over $15.5 million in Medicaid Fraud between 2019 and 2022. Cooper’s case, as well as the similar PNCC-related schemes are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kate M. Biebel and Julie F. Stewart of the Eastern District of Wisconsin.
Dr. Jerry Jones III, 70, of Mequon, Wisconsin, was charged by information with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. As alleged in the information, Dr. Jones was a medical provider authorized to distribute controlled substances for legitimate medical care. Instead, between January 2021 and September 2025, Dr. Jones conspired to distribute controlled substances such as amphetamine-dextroamphetamine, methylphenidate, buprenorphine, diazepam, lorazepam, alprazolam, and pregabalin outside the usual course of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose. As part of the conspiracy, Dr. Jones distributed 12,885 pills of Adderall, 8,121 pills of Ritalin, 143,282 units of Schedule III controlled substances, 35,944 units of Schedule IV controlled substances, and 12,374 units of Schedule V controlled substances. Dr. Jones agreed to forfeit $294,850.72 in proceeds of the unlawful conspiracy. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Stewart of the Eastern District of Wisconsin.

Western District of Wisconsin

Jimmy Davis Jr., 43, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and JD Davis Enterprises, LLC, were charged by indictment with of health care fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud the Wisconsin Medicaid program. As alleged in the indictment, Davis operated JD Davis Enterprises, LLC, a provider of non-emergency medical transport. Between May 2022, and January 2024, the indictment alleges Davis unlawfully obtained Wisconsin Medicaid funds by submitting fraudulent claims for reimbursement. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Hess and Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. Levins of the Western District of Wisconsin.

Cases Filed in State Court

Alaska

Molly Joanna Bates, 46, Kyle Sujoy Bates, 48, Peyton Ward Love, 33, Heritage Assisted Living Home LLC, Heritage Home LLC, and Alaska Life Group Homes LLC, were charged by information with engaging in a scheme to defraud, theft, and medical assistance fraud in connection with $618,961.99 in fraudulent billing to the Alaska Medicaid Program, of which $590,337.66 was paid. As alleged in the information, Molly Bates and Kyle Bates are a married couple who owned, either individually or jointly, Heritage Assisted Living Home LLC, Heritage Home LLC, and Alaska Life Group Homes LLC. Peyton Ward was an administrator designee at both facilities who supervised and ran the day-to-day operations. From January 1, 2019 to August 30, 2024, Molly Bates, Kyle Bates, and Peyton Ward routinely billed for supported living services which were either not provided or were inadequately staffed and also billed for day habilitation services with no record or insufficient record to support the service. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Heather Dyreng of the Alaska Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Marcus Edward Olsen, 36, of Kenai, Alaska, was charged by information with medical assistance fraud, theft, and falsifying business records in connection with billing Medicaid for personal care services he never performed while employed as a personal care attendant for a Medicaid recipient. As alleged in the information, after a family member called 911 because the recipient reported leg pain and that she had not left her bed in six months, hospital staff observed signs of severe neglect. The recipient’s body was soiled with urine and feces, the elastic band of a sleeping mask had grown into her hair and had to be cut out of it, and she had stage IV wounds (severe bedsores) on much of her body. Olsen’s time entries, however, claimed that he regularly managed the recipient’s daily activities, toileting, and hygiene. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Leif Haugen of the Alaska Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Joseph J. Mirci, DDS, 47, Peninsula Family Dental Center LLC, and Joseph J. Mirci DMD LLC, were charged by information with scheme to defraud, theft, and medical assistance fraud in connection with $83,985.97 in fraudulent billings submitted to Medicaid between January 1, 2021 and September 31, 2025. As alleged in the information, Mirci, through his LLCs, Peninsula Family Dental Center LLC and Joseph J. Mirci DMD LLC, submitted billing for dental services which did not occur, were not medically necessary, did not meet Medicaid requirements, were below the standard of care, were not substantiated by patient records, and/or were billed at a higher level of service than actually performed. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Heather Dyreng of the Alaska Medicaid Fraud Unit
Amie Njie Sanneh, 72, Sainabou Faal, 46, and Graystone Assisted Living Home LLC (“Graystone”), of Anchorage, Alaska, were charged by information in with engaging in a scheme to defraud, theft, and medical assistance fraud in connection with the submission of $1,109,570.90 in claims to the Alaska Medicaid Program with no documentation or insufficient documentation, of which $1,067,794.95 was paid. As alleged in the information, Sanneh, the owner of Graystone, and her niece, Faal, submitted billing to the Alaska Medicaid Program for four Medicaid recipients between January 1, 2022, and May 1, 2025. Sanneh and Faal failed to produce records substantiating a large portion of the services for which they billed Medicaid and also produced many incomplete records. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Heather Dyreng of the Alaska Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Melia Tofaeono, 62, and Joshua Tofaeono, 36, both of Anchorage, Alaska, were charged by information with engaging in a scheme to defraud, theft, medical assistance fraud, and falsifying business records for submitting claims for respite and personal care services which did not occur. Medicaid paid a total of $13,707.44 based on the false and fraudulent claims. As alleged in the information, Joshua Tofaeono documented on time sheets that he provided respite services at times when he was working another job. Joshua Tofaeono also claimed to provide personal care services at times when the recipient was at school. Melia Tofaeono, the recipient’s mother, signed each time sheet certifying that the claimed service occurred. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Heather Dyreng of the Alaska Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

Arizona

Michelle Renee Alderman, 48, of Kingman, Arizona, was charged by complaint with unauthorized practice of a health profession in connection with her business, The Pout Company. As alleged in the complaint, Alderman, a non-licensed individual and owner of The Pout Company, provided facial lip filler services. These services require medical licensure along with appropriate oversight of a medical professional where applicable. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Ryan Dill of the Arizona Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Lorraine P. Ferrante, 73, of Snowflake, Arizona, was charged by indictment with fraudulent schemes and artifices, taking the identity of another person or entity, negligent homicide, and performing midwifery without a proper license. Conscious Choices Birth Center, located in Snowflake, Arizona, was charged by indictment with fraudulent schemes and artifices. As alleged in the indictment, Ferrante, owner of Conscious Choices Birth Center, was a non-licensed individual who operated fraudulently as a midwife to multiple victims between approximately January 2020 and December 2025. It is alleged that as a result of her negligence, an unborn child died in-utero in February 2025. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Ryan Dill of the Arizona Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Brandi Lee Dees, 30, of Phoenix, Arizona, was charged by complaint with fraudulent schemes and artifices, medical practice without a license, and possession of prescription-only drugs. As alleged in the complaint, Dees, a non-licensed individual, provided lip filler, Botox, and performed other dermal injectable medical procedures. These services require medical licensure along with appropriate oversight of a medical professional where applicable. It is further alleged the fillers used were not approved by FDA. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General F. Sterling Struckmeyer of the Arizona Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Irfan Fazil, 54, of Yuma, Arizona, was charged by indictment with fraudulent schemes and artifices, illegal control of an enterprise, theft, conspiracy, possession of dangerous drugs, and acquisition or administration of dangerous drugs in connection with a fraudulent scheme against Arizona Medicaid. Bio Family Clinic, located in Yuma, Arizona, was charged by indictment with fraudulent schemes and artifices. As alleged in the indictment, Fazil, owner of Bio Family Clinic, engaged in a scheme and conspiracy to defraud the Arizona Medicaid system via a racketeering enterprise he controlled between July 2025 and May 2026. Fazil is alleged to have conspired with an accomplice to commit money laundering and theft, among other charges. Additionally, he is alleged to have possessed and acquired or administered dangerous drugs. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Ryan Dill of the Arizona Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Bonith Havyarimana, 46, Carey Jack Carrington, 57, Naomi Mbazumutima, 63, Nevia Michelle Sanders, 26, Kareena Rae Torres-Hackworth, 21, Maria Guadalupe Torres Reyes, 33, and another individual were charged by indictment in connection with the death of a patient. As alleged in the indictment, the defendants did not provide appropriate medical care for a patient they were responsible for. The case is being prosecuted under the guidance of Criminal Deputy Division Chief Steven Duplissis of the Arizona Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Michael Jadda, 34, of Peoria, Arizona, was charged by complaint with fraud schemes and artifices, aggravated taking identity of another, forgery, and sale or transportation of narcotic drugs in connection with the diversion of prescription-only oxycodone pills. As alleged in the complaint, Jadda, a pharmacist, utilized his position to create fake prescriptions for controlled substances including oxycodone and diverted them for personal use and distribution and sale. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Bob Tokar of the Arizona Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Newstart Integrated Clinic, an entity, Analiza De Pedro, 54, Maria Rosario Roxas, 70, Emeline Tabujara, 52, Angelina Renae Key, 45, Lemuel DePedro, 64, Julius Mugumya, 42, Jean B. Nsabimana, 51, Annet Uwamahoro, 47, Yordanos Yori Haddis, 31, Asmara Haddis, 35, Samer Akram Mohammed Al Khafaji, 42, Josue D. Rosales, 48, Abdulhaq Rahimi, 35, Ibrahim M. Darmas, 44, Urlich Busokoza, 42, and three other individuals, all of Surprise, Arizona, were charged by indictment with fraudulent schemes and artifices, patient/client referral fraud, and money laundering, in connection with a scheme to defraud Arizona Medicaid and for exploiting its members. As alleged in the indictment, these individuals received monetary compensation in exchange for the referral of Medicaid beneficiaries from their business to Newstart Integrated Clinic exclusively. These schemes defrauded Arizona Medicaid from approximately January 2023 to October 2023 in excess of $1 million. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Ryan Dill of the Arizona Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Danni Denise Owens, 39, Bree Kaylyn Lobley, 29, Ahlia Neolani Wong, 22, Heather Jane Smith, 30, Tanya Kantun, 32, Natalie Diane Rebellozo, 27, and Slimming Grace, LLC, an entity, all of Kingman, Arizona, were charged by indictment with conspiring to commit fraudulent schemes and artifices, aggravated identity theft, sale of misbranded drugs, and forgery. Additionally, all were charged with the executing fraudulent schemes and artifices from January 2024 through February 2025 in connection with the business, Slimming Grace, LLC. Owens, a nurse practitioner and owner of Slimming Grace, along with her co-defendants, are alleged to have done the following: Lobley selected names of random patients to place on prescription orders from Slimming Grace without their permission, thereby stealing their identity. Wong sold and administered prescription-only medication to clients without a prescription and without a valid medical consultation. Smith and Kantun engaged in the unauthorized practice of a health profession by giving patient consultation and injections of prescription-only medications. Rebellozo filled and distributed syringes filled with unlabeled prescription-only medications and fraudulently held herself out as a medical professional authorized to administer prescription-only medication. Additionally, a co-conspirator is alleged to have engaged in fraudulent schemes. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Bob Tokar of the Arizona Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Edgar Z Torres, 38, of Nogales, Arizona, was charged by indictment with endangerment, criminal Impersonation, possession of prescription drugs for sale, and unauthorized practice of a health profession. As alleged in the indictment, Torres performed medical procedures, including penile enlargement revision procedures, without the necessary licensing or medical credentials to do so. It is further alleged that Torres’s actions endangered victims. Torres utilized another’s identity in order to conduct his illegal operations, and he unlawfully possessed prescription-only medications for sale. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Ryan Dill of the Arizona Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

Arkansas

Porcha Birdo was charged by information with Medicaid fraud in connection with the billing of $18,693.12 for personal care aide services. As alleged, while working as a personal care aide, Birdo filed claims for providing personal care services to her minor child, which is not allowed under the Arkansas Medicaid Program. The case is being prosecuted by Prosecuting Attorney Will Jones of the Sixth Judicial District and Senior Assistant Attorney General David Jones of the Arkansas Attorney Medicaid Fraud Control Unit through the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney for the Sixth Judicial District.
Oprah Ewing was charged by information with Medicaid fraud and tampering in connection with the billing of $5,893.12 for personal care aide services. As alleged, Ewing, a Medicaid beneficiary, assisted a personal care aide, Alexander Kirksey, in submitting fraudulent claims for personal care services allegedly provided to Ewing and others, and Ewing attempted to induce a witness to withhold information from investigators. The case is being prosecuted by Prosecuting Attorney Will Jones of the Sixth Judicial District and Assistant Attorney General David Jones of the Arkansas Attorney Medicaid Fraud Control Unit through the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney for the Sixth Judicial District.
Alexander Kirksey was charged by information with Medicaid fraud in connection with the billing of $58,644.28 for personal care aide services. As alleged, Kirksey claimed to have provided personal care services to multiple Medicaid beneficiaries, when he did not actually provide the services. The case is being prosecuted by Prosecuting Attorney Will Jones of the Sixth Judicial District and Assistant Attorney General David Jones of the Arkansas Attorney Medicaid Fraud Control Unit through the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney for the Sixth Judicial District.
Angelia Lakey was charged by information with Medicaid fraud in connection with the billing of $108,380.16 for personal care aide services. As alleged, Lakey was employed as a personal care aide and billed Medicaid for services that were not rendered by utilizing various schemes to commit fraud, including the use of multiple cellular phones to simulate required check-ins when she was not physically present to provide care. The case is being prosecuted by Prosecuting Attorney Will Jones of the Sixth Judicial District and Senior Assistant Attorney General Leigh Patterson of the Arkansas Attorney Medicaid Fraud Control Unit through the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney for the Sixth Judicial District.
Armanda Richardson was charged by information with Medicaid fraud in connection with the billing of $16,401 for supportive living care services. As alleged, while working as a direct service professional, Richardson billed Medicaid for supportive living care service hours allegedly provided to her foster child that overlapped with her real work hours at a full-time employment position. The case is being prosecuted by Prosecuting Attorney Will Jones of the Sixth Judicial District and Senior Assistant Attorney General Leigh Patterson of the Arkansas Attorney Medicaid Fraud Control Unit through the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney for the Sixth Judicial District.

California

Melissa Denise Armenta, 47, of Clovis, California, was charged by complaint for presenting false claims to Medi-Cal. As alleged in the complaint, Armenta submitted false timesheets for in-home supportive services. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Rhiannah Gordon of the California Attorney General’s Office, Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse.
Jennifer Eroh, 56, of Chico, California, was charged by complaint for presenting false claims to Medi-Cal. As alleged in the complaint, Eroh submitted false timesheets for in-home supportive services. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Tiffani Thomas of the California Attorney General’s Office, Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse.
Kimberly Allison Hulsey, 45, of Porterville, California, was charged by complaint for presenting false claims to Medi-Cal. As alleged in the complaint, Hulsey submitted false timesheets for in-home supportive services. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Amy Bellah of the California Attorney General’s Office, Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse.
Dilmurad Irgashev, 66, of Porter Ranch, California, Zulfiya Yazdanova, 55, of Chatsworth, California, Umair Savani, 34, of Los Angeles, California, Edgar Quintero, 62, of Valencia, California, Juliet Remengesau, 56, of Menifee, California, and Lyudmila Tretiak, 58, of Winnetka, California, were charged by complaint with fraud, unauthorized use of personal identifying information, and offering kickbacks in connection with a hospice fraud and kickback scheme that caused at least $500,000 in loss to the Medi-Cal program. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Nadia Dosky-McQuade of the California Attorney General’s Office, Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse.
Nicholas Stenton, 53, of Lower Lake, California, was charged by complaint for presenting false Medi-Cal claims in connection with in-home supportive services. As alleged in the complaint, Stenton submitted fraudulent timesheets for in-home supportive services. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Tiffani Thomas of the California Attorney General’s Office, Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse.
Dr. Yao Weng Hsu, 58, of San Marino, California and Sarah Zahra Mosleh, 72, of Valencia, California were charged by complaint with grand theft against the Medi-Cal system and eight counts of submitting false claims to Medi-Cal. As alleged in the complaint, Dr. Hsu as owner of Beverly Women’s Medical Center in Los Angeles and Mosleh, the office manager of the clinic, fraudulently enrolled patients in Medi-Cal’s Presumptive Eligibility program for pregnant women and in Medi-Cal’s Family Planning, Access, Care, and Treatment, also known as FPACT. Hsu and Mosleh also billed these programs for physician services which were not provided. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Malcolm Venolia of the California Attorney General’s office in the Superior Court of Los Angeles County.

Colorado

Jared Parker Heath, 37, and James Andrew Heath, 33, of Jefferson County, Colorado, were charged by indictment with Medicaid fraud and waste, cybercrime, and money laundering, in connection with a scheme to defraud Colorado’s Medicaid optical program of more than $12 million through their business QuickSpex LLC. As alleged in the indictment, from 2021-2025, the Heaths fraudulently billed for far more glasses frames and related vision services than they actually provided. For example, in 2021, the defendants billed Medicaid over $2.9 million for 7,947 frames for 2,816 unique beneficiaries. During this time, QuickSpex did not have a fully open physical location and the company’s software recorded providing only 17 glasses frames. In 2022, the defendants billed Medicaid over $2.7 million for 8,019 frames for 1,995 unique beneficiaries, yet the company’s software recorded dispensing 757 frames. In 2023, the defendants billed Medicaid over $2.7 million for 7,097 frames for 1,260 unique beneficiaries. The company’s software recorded dispensing 1,080 frames. And in 2024, the defendants billed Medicaid over $3.6 million for 8,155 frames for 394 unique beneficiaries. The company’s software recorded dispensing 1,478 frames. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Joshuah Lisk of the Colorado Medicaid Fraud, Abuse & Neglect Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Hurd of the District of Colorado is handling asset forfeiture.

Connecticut

Ashley Chapman, 27, of Baltic, Connecticut, was charged by information with health insurance fraud and larceny by defrauding a public community. As alleged in the arrest warrant, Chapman billed Medicaid for personal care assistance services purportedly rendered to a recipient at her home in Connecticut despite being located over 3,000 miles away on the dates of service. Medicaid paid Chapman a total of $7,242.36 based on the false and fraudulent claims. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorney Kyle LaBuff of the Connecticut Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

Delaware

Luz M. Beato, 23, of Wilmington, Delaware, was charged by indictment with health care fraud, theft by false pretense, falsifying business records, and falsifying medical records in connection with fraudulent billing for personal care attendant (“PCA”) services. As alleged in the indictment, in April 2025, Beato billed for hours of PCA services that were not performed, resulting in Medicaid being defrauded more than $1,500.00. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Angie Kogut of the Delaware Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Christina E. Johnson, 36, of Delaware City, Delaware, was charged by indictment with health care fraud, theft, falsification of business records, and conspiracy in connection with fraudulent billing for personal care attendant (“PCA”) services. As alleged in the indictment, from March 2024 to April 2024, Johnson conspired to log in for hours of PCA services that were not performed, resulting in Medicaid being defrauded more than $1,500.00. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Barchi of the Delaware Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

Florida

Brandon Alan Aderhold, 35, of Glen St. Mary, Florida, Juan Stinus Brown, 58, of Fernandina Beach, Florida, Tabatha Nicole Keller, 41, of St. Augustine, Florida, and James Samuel Singleton, 41, of Orange Park, Florida, were charged by informations with engaging in an organized scheme to defraud in the amount of $50,000 or more, in connection with schemes to overbill Florida Medicaid for non-emergency medical transportation services. In total, Medicaid was defrauded out of $479,809.51 by these defendants. Aderhold, Brown, Keller, and Singleton were drivers for Camelot Transportation, and overbilled the Florida Medicaid program for $53,534.01, $214,140.58, $79,417.63, and $132,717.29, respectively. The services were purportedly provided by the defendants from August 2020 to January 2023. The cases are being prosecuted by Special Assistant State Attorney Jacqueline Hutchins of the Florida Medicaid Fraud Control Unit through the State Attorney’s Office for the 4th Judicial Circuit of Florida.
Noel Camacho, 41, of Hialeah Gardens, Florida, was charged by information with Medicaid provider fraud in connection with a scheme involving approximately $227,494.32 in fraudulent Medicaid claims for psychosocial rehabilitation (“PSR”) services. As alleged, Camacho, the owner and president of Healthy Futures Wellness Center, Inc. (“Healthy Futures”), defrauded Medicaid using fake medical records and falsified progress notes. According to the affidavit, Camacho caused the submission of false claims for PSR services that recipients never received and paid cash kickbacks to individuals in exchange for their Medicaid information. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant State Attorney Jose Marti of the Florida Medicaid Fraud Control Unit through the Miami State Attorney’s Office.
Ratevia Checondra Hunter, 45, of Miami, Florida, was charged by information with Medicaid provider fraud. As alleged, Hunter, a home health aide employed by Unlimited Blessing Caregiver Services LLC, caused Medicaid to be billed for approximately $83,470.44 in false and fraudulent claims for services that were purportedly rendered during times the recipient was traveling to school or otherwise unable to receive care. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant State Attorney Jose Marti of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit through the Miami State Attorney’s Office.
Tavares Tyrone Hankins, 46, of Jacksonville, Florida, was charged by information with organized scheme to defraud, in connection with a non-emergency medical transportation scheme in which he overbilled the Medicaid program for services and received $104,354.78. As alleged in the information, Hankins, a driver for Camelot Transportation, engaged in this scheme to defraud the Florida Medicaid Program in a systemic, ongoing manner between May 18, 2021, and January 31, 2023. The case is being prosecuted by the Florida Office of the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit through the State Attorney for the 4^th Judicial Circuit of Florida.
Eleyn Mirurgia Sanchez, 32, of North Lauderdale, Florida, was charged by information with Medicaid provider fraud and proprietorship by a non-dentist. As alleged, Sanchez, a non-dentist and the sole owner of Beautiful Smiles Dental Inc., fraudulently enrolled with Medicaid by falsely representing that a licensed dentist owned the practice and by using the licensed dentist’s forged signatures on Medicaid enrollment paperwork without the dentist’s consent. Sanchez then caused Medicaid to be billed for approximately $79,966.66 in false and fraudulent claims. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant Statewide Prosecutor Jose Marti of the Florida Medicaid Fraud Control Unit through the Office of the Statewide Prosecutor.
Tymeka Eridder Spears, 46, of Jacksonville, Florida, was charged by information with Medicaid provider fraud. As alleged in the information, Spears, owner of Trucare Health Services, billed Florida’s Medicaid program $47,158 for personal care services that were never provided to two Medicaid recipients. The case is being prosecuted by Special Designated Assistant Statewide Prosecutor Jacqueline Hutchins of the Florida Medicaid Fraud Control Unit through the Office of the Statewide Prosecutor.
Venessa K. Thomas, 38, of Ormond Beach, Florida, was charged with Medicaid provider fraud, organized scheme to defraud, criminal use of personal information, and offenses against users of computers in connection with a scheme involving fraudulent Medicaid claims for telehealth mental health services that were not rendered. As alleged, Thomas, a licensed mental health counselor employed by A Better Life and Community, LLC, submitted or caused the submission of 2,696 fraudulent claims for mental health services never rendered. Some of the claims were submitted using identification information belonging to Medicaid recipients under 18 years of age that she unlawfully obtained using her provider access to a managed care portal. The total amount billed for these claims was $261,804.40. Payment for the claims was traced to funds in the amount of $219,787.13 paid to Thomas. The case is being prosecuted by Chief Assistant Statewide Prosecutor Kelsey A. Bledsoe of the Office of the Statewide Prosecutor.

Georgia

Avant Interventional Psychiatry, an outpatient mental health practice, located in Marietta, Georgia, and its owner, Dr. Okah Anyokwu, 60, of Marietta, Georgia, reached a civil settlement to pay $375,000 to resolve allegations that the Dr. Anyokwu and his clinic submitted claims to Medicaid for psychiatric services under Dr. Anyokwu’s provider number when the services were rendered by other individuals, who were not licensed or enrolled with Medicaid. The case was settled by Assistant Attorney General James Champlin of the Georgia Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

Illinois

Ezgi Abik, 54, of La Grange Park, Illinois, was charged by indictment with theft of governmental property, managed care fraud, theft, and forgery, in connection with submitting false claims to Illinois Medicaid for non-emergency medical transportation of Medicaid recipients. As alleged in the indictment, the claims submitted by Abik, doing business as Alexis of Illinois, were for transportation services not rendered to the Medicaid recipients. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Mary Pat Devereux of the Illinois Medicaid Fraud Control Unit
Berry Charles, 46, of Chicago, Illinois, was charged by indictment with vendor fraud, theft and forgery in connection with submitting false Division of Rehabilitation timesheets to receive payments for home rehabilitation services he did not render. As alleged in the indictment, Berry, submitted forged timesheets for personal assistant services that were not provided. Berry allegedly received approximately $22,527.57 as a result of the forged timesheets. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Rob Sparano of the Illinois Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Beverely Floyd Owens-Conner, 71, of Olympia Fields, Illinois, was charged by indictment with vendor fraud, theft, and forgery in connection with submitting fraudulent time records for $11,325.00 to the Illinois Department of Aging, Community Care Program. As alleged in the indictment, Owens-Conner was working as personal assistant for a customer. While the customer was hospitalized from August 23, 2023 to August 30, 2023 and then admitted to as long-term care facility from August 30, 2023 to March 15, 2024, Owens-Conner continued to submit time records for personal assistant services that were not rendered. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General David Kim ofthe Illinois Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Thomas W. Downing, 37, of Bloomington, Illinois, was charged by indictment with vendor fraud, theft, theft by deception, and forgery in connection with submitting false Division of Rehabilitation timesheets to receive payments for services he did not render, totaling $11,497.94. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Darren Price of the Office of the Illinois Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Amro T. Abdel-Fattah, 45, of Lombard, Illinois, was charged by indictment with theft of government property, theft, conspiracy to commit theft of government property, managed care fraud, vendor fraud, and forgery in connection with submitting over $1 million in false claims for pharmaceutical prescriptions. Further, Mohammad Khamis, 57, of River Forest, Illinois, was charged with conspiracy to commit theft of government property in connection with the same scheme. Khamis, a physician and owner of multiple pharmacies, employed pharmacist Abdel-Fattah, at his pharmacies. Together, Khamis and Abdel-Fattah devised a scheme that submitted false claims for pharmaceutical prescriptions that were not rendered and/or not legally prescribed. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney Generals Steven Kreuger and Daniel Quinn Duffy of the Illinois Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Sean T. Hodges, 59, of Collinsville, Illinois, was charged by information with managed health care fraud, theft, conspiracy to commit theft, and forgery in connection with a personal assistant fraud scheme, which resulted in a $30,000 loss to Medicaid. As alleged in the information, Hodges conspired to and executed a scheme to defraud an Illinois Medicaid Managed Care Program related to personal assistant services. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Ama E. Mends of the Illinois Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Maurleena M. Hughes, 60, of St. Louis, Missouri, was charged by information with managed health care fraud, theft, conspiracy to commit theft, and forgery in connection with a personal assistant fraud scheme, which resulted in a $30,000 loss to Medicaid. As alleged in the information, Hughes conspired to and executed a scheme to defraud an Illinois Medicaid Managed Care Program related to personal assistant services. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Ama E. Mends of the Illinois Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Leona Isom, 26, of Sauk Village, Illinois, was charged by indictment with vendor fraud, theft, and forgery in connection with billing for personal assistant services not rendered. As alleged in the indictment, Isom was a personal assistant for an Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Rehabilitation Home Services Program customer and submitted fraudulent timesheets for payment for the customer while Isom maintained secondary employment. Isom received a total of $17,787.92 for personal assistant services not rendered. The case is being prosecuted by Melissa Guske, Deputy Chief of the Illinois Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Donald C. Johnson, 50, of Chicago, Illinois, was charged by indictment with vendor fraud, theft, and forgery in connection with submitting fraudulent claims for in-home services. As alleged in the indictment, Johnson was an individual provider for the Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Rehabilitation Service’s Home Services Program. The program provides services to individuals with severe disabilities, allowing them to remain in their homes and live as independently as possible. Johnson submitted $16,068.49 in claims that overlap with the dates and times the intendent recipient of the services was admitted to a long-term care facility. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Daniel Quinn Duffy of the Illinois Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Jesse L. Kempfer, 45, of Centralia, Illinois, was charged by information with managed health care fraud, theft, and forgery in connection with a gas mileage reimbursement scheme that resulted in a loss of $38,713.00 to Medicaid. As alleged in the information, Kempfer knowingly delivered false documents related to gas mileage reimbursement for medical visits in order to defraud an Illinois Medicaid Managed Care Program. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Ama E. Mends of the Illinois Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Defendant Brittany Lofton, 25, of Chicago, Illinois, was charged by indictment with vendor fraud, theft, and forgery in connection with submitting false timesheets for $11,763.23 to the Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Rehabilitation Services. As alleged in the indictment, Lofton was working as personal assistant for a customer. While the customer was hospitalized from September 15, 2023 to November 22, 2023 and November 25, 2023 to April 15, 2024, Lofton continued to submit timesheets for personal assistant services that were not rendered. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General David of the Illinois Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
David Mason, 61, of Downers Grove, Illinois, was charged by indictment with vendor fraud, theft of government property, and forgery in connection with billing the Department of Rehabilitation for home-based services not rendered. As alleged in the indictment, Mason submitted false electronic visit verification entries for providing home services to a Medicaid recipient when the Medicaid recipient was not at home, but a resident at a supported living facility. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Mary Pat Devereux of the Illinois Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Kimberly Melgar, 31, of Cicero, Illinois, was charged by indictment with vendor fraud, theft of government property, and forgery in connection with billing the Department of Rehabilitation for home-based services not rendered. As alleged in the indictment, Melgar submitted false time sheets and electronic visit verification entries for providing home services to a Medicaid recipient when the Medicaid recipient was out of the country for extended periods of time. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Mary Pat Devereux of the Illinois Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Nicole D. Snyder, 44, of Breese, Illinois, was charged by indictment with financial exploitation of an elderly person or person with a disability and theft in connection with exploiting an elderly and disabled individual, resulting in a $31,249.27 loss to Medicaid. As alleged in the indictment, Snyder stood in a position of trust when she used an individual’s debit card without authorization for her own personal use, including cash withdrawals. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Ama E. Mends of the Illinois Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Brandy N. Strong, of Charleston, Missouri, was charged by indictment with vendor fraud, theft, theft by deception, forgery, and identity theft in connection with submitting false Division of Rehabilitation timesheets to receive payments for services she did not render, resulting in a $25,202.95 loss to Medicaid. As alleged, Strong used the personal information of two other individuals to submit timesheets to receive payments for services not provided. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Darren Price of the Illinois Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Shanty Svay, 41, of Glendale Heights, Illinois, was charged by indictment with vendor fraud, theft of government property, and forgery in connection with billing the Department of Rehabilitation for home-based services not rendered. As alleged in the indictment, Svay submitted false time sheets and false electronic visit verification entries for providing home services to a Medicaid recipient when Svay could not have been providing services in the Medicaid recipient’s home, because she was clocked in and working at her secondary employment at another location. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Mary Pat Devereux of the Illinois Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

Indiana

Ki’Andreia James, 39, of Indianapolis, Indiana, was charged by information with obtaining a controlled substance by fraud or deceit and failure to make, keep, and/or furnish a record. As alleged in the probable cause affidavit, James, a registered nurse, diverted hydrocodone from patients and did not properly document the administration of the medication while employed at Hooverwood Living, a nursing home. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Kyle Sprunger of the Indiana Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Mackenzie Leigh Deyer, 26, of New Haven, Indiana, was charged by information with fraud, theft, and identity deception in connection with a series of alleged actions involving improper use of other people’s debit cards. As alleged in the probable cause affidavit, Deyer was employed as a Home Health Aide at Evergreen Village, an assisted living facility in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where she allegedly obtained access to several residents’ debit card information that she used to obtain property without the residents’ consent. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Georgeanna Teipen of the Indiana Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Paula McCarthy, 50, of Mooresville, Indiana, was charged by information with obtaining a controlled substance by fraud or deceit, furnishing false or fraudulent information, and forgery. As alleged in the probable cause affidavit, McCarthy, a registered nurse, diverted oxycodone from patients, claimed she destroyed the medication, and forged a medication aide’s signature on a controlled substance record to make it appear as though the aide had observed McCarthy destroy the medication. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Kyle Sprunger of the Indiana Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Brandy Rifner, 42, of Fishers, Indiana, was charged by information with obtaining a controlled substance by fraud or deceit and furnishing false or fraudulent information in connection with the alleged diversion of fentanyl, a controlled substance. As alleged in the probable cause affidavit, Rifner allegedly diverted fentanyl and furnished false or fraudulent information or omitted information. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Kimberly Savoie of the Indiana Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Courtney Schaefer, 40, of Bristow, Indiana, was charged by information with obtaining a controlled substance by fraud or deceit and failure to make, keep, and/or furnish a record. As alleged in the probable cause affidavit, Schaefer, a licensed practical nurse, diverted hydrocodone, clonazepam, and pregabalin from patients and did not properly document the administration of the medication while employed at The Waters of Huntingberg Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Center. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Kyle Sprunger of the Indiana Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Pecola Simpson, 50, of Evansville, Indiana, was charged by information with obtaining a controlled substance by fraud or deceit and failure to make, keep, or furnish records in connection with drug diversion of over 30 units of hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxycodone, and lorazepam. As alleged in the probable cause affidavit, Simpson, a licensed practical nurse, diverted the narcotics from a Posey County nursing home and did not make legally required controlled substance records. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Kyle Sprunger of the Indiana Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Tamara Smart, 51, of Indianapolis, Indiana, was charged by information with obtaining a controlled substance by fraud or deceit and failure to make, keep, and/or furnish a record. As alleged in the probable cause affidavit, Smart, a licensed practical nurse, diverted oxycodone from patients and did not properly document the administration of the medication while employed at Wellbrooke of Carmel, a nursing home. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Kyle Sprunger of the Indiana Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Teresa Waltz, 54, of Newburgh, Indiana, was charged by information with obtaining a controlled substance by fraud or deceit and failure to make, keep, or furnish records in connection with drug diversion of over 60 units of hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxycodone, lorazepam, and tramadol. As alleged in the probable cause affidavit, Waltz, a registered nurse, diverted the narcotics from a Posey County nursing home and did not make legally required controlled substance records. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Kyle Sprunger of the Indiana Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

Iowa

Erica Bovee, 53, of Marshalltown, Iowa, was charged by complaint with fraudulent practice and tampering with records in connection with submitting claims to Iowa Medicaid for services not provided to a Medicaid member. As alleged in the complaints, Bovee admitted that she completed and submitted documentation indicating that her mother-in-law and husband were providing respite and supported community living (“SCL”) services to a Medicaid member while the member was in the hospital, during which time any respite and SCL services were not allowed to be billed to Iowa Medicaid. Bovee’s claims for 225 hours of services while the member was in the hospital resulted in a total loss to Iowa Medicaid of $5,306.87. The case is being prosecuted by the Marshall County Attorney’s Office.
Callie Chamberlin, 33, of Atlantic, Iowa, was charged by complaint with unlawfully obtaining a prescription drug. As alleged in the complaint, Chamberlin, a nurse, diverted a patient’s fentanyl patch while employed at a nursing home and Rehabilitation Center, and then asked another nurse to cover up the diversion. The case is being prosecuted by the Iowa Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Shelby County Attorney’s Office.
Tamri Dameron, 54, of Des Moines, Iowa was charged by complaint with fraudulent practice and tampering with records in connection with submitting claims to Iowa Medicaid for services not provided to a Medicaid member. As alleged in the complaints, while working as a personal care services provider, Dameron falsified records indicating personal care services that were not actually provided, which resulted in a total loss to Iowa Medicaid of $12,750.94. The case is being prosecuted by the Polk County Attorney’s Office.
Marjorie Mae Koberg, 58, of Stockton, Iowa was charged by complaint with forgery and tampering with records in connection with submitting claims to Iowa Medicaid for services not provided. As alleged in the complaint, while working as a personal care services provider, Koberg falsified visit verification records documenting services that she did not provide. The complaint also alleges that Koberg forged the Medicaid member’s name, attesting that the services were, in fact, provided in order to receive payment of $158.20. The case is being prosecuted by the Scott County Attorney’s Office.
Glenn Thronson, 41, of Davenport, Iowa, was charged by complaint with unlawfully obtaining prescription drugs and tampering with records. As alleged in the complaint, Thronson, a nurse, diverted Demerol, Dilaudid, and fentanyl from a surgery center where he worked. He then falsified narcotics usage logs to conceal the diversion, including by creating fake patients in the records system. The case is being prosecuted by the Scott County Attorney’s Office.

Kansas

Donald Ray Ellison III, 42, of Baxter Springs, Kansas, was charged by complaint with making a false claim, statement or representation to the Medicaid program (Medicaid fraud) and making false information in connection with a scheme to defraud Medicaid by submitting claims for services not provided. As alleged in the complaint, Ellison received funds from Medicaid for daily living skills assistance that he was not entitled to. From June 2022 through March 2023, Ellison submitted false claims for personal care attendant services that were not provided. The total amount he fraudulently billed and received was $41,449.20. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorneys General Kiley J. Deain and Gregory T. Benefiel of the Kansas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Division.
Matthew Gordon Lambert, 40, of Basehor, Kansas, was charged by complaint with making a false claim, statement or representation to the Medicaid program (Medicaid fraud) and unlawful acts concerning computers in connection with a scheme to defraud Medicaid by submitting claims for services he did not provide. As alleged in the complaint, Lambert was paid by Medicaid as a personal care attendant (“PCA”) who provided daily living skills assistance to Medicaid beneficiaries. From September 2021 through November 2024, Lambert submitted false claims for PCA services that were not provided. He used a computer system to submit those claims. The total amount he fraudulently submitted claims for was $31,065.35 and of that, Lambert was paid $30,714.37. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Deborah L. Moody of the Kansas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Division.
Sharae Michelle Lora, 53, of Kansas City, Kansas, was charged by complaint with making a false claim, statement or representation to the Medicaid program (Medicaid fraud), unlawful acts concerning computers, and identity theft in connection with a scheme to defraud Medicaid by submitting claims for services not provided. As alleged in the complaint, Lora received funds from Medicaid for daily living skills assistance that she was not entitled to. From November 2022 through February 2024, Lora submitted false claims for PCA services that were not provided. She used a computer system to submit those claims; she also used personal identifying information belonging to another person in furtherance of her scheme to defraud Medicaid. The total amount she fraudulently billed and received was $36,847.08. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Kiley J. Deain of the Kansas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Division.

Kentucky

Christine N. Allen, 28, of Louisville, Kentucky, was charged by indictment with presenting fraudulent claims to defraud in connection with causing Kentucky Medicaid to be billed for services that were never provided in the amount of $6,732. As alleged in the indictment, Allen caused Home and Community-Based Waiver time sheets to be submitted for services that were never provided. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Director David R. Startsman of the Kentucky Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Anastasia Jandes, 51, of Lexington, Kentucky was charged by indictment with theft by deception in connection with an alleged scheme to charge Kentucky Medicaid recipients cash for Medicaid covered services. As alleged in the indictment, Jandes committed theft by deception when she unlawfully obtained funds in the amount of $66,358.45 from Kentucky Medicaid recipients. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorneys General Linsey K. Hogg and David R. Startsman of the Kentucky Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Ana Vanway, 35, of Erlanger, Kentucky, and Tyler Vanway, 35, of Erlanger, Kentucky, were charged by indictment with presenting fraudulent claims to defraud the Kentucky Medicaid program and devising a plan or scheme or artifice to obtain benefits by means of false representation. As alleged in the indictment, Ana Vanway wrote prescriptions for herself and her family, which caused Medicaid to be billed for those prescriptions, when Vanway knew that she and her family were not eligible to receive those Medicaid benefits. As further alleged in the indictment, Ana Vanway and Tyler Vanway unlawfully received Medicaid benefits on behalf of themselves and their family. Tyler Vanway was also charged with three counts of forgery of a prescription. As alleged in the indictment, Tyler Vanway fabricated prescriptions and caused Medicaid to be billed for those prescriptions. The case is being prosecuted by Director Matthew Kleinertof the Kentucky Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

Louisiana

Arthur Bracey, 49, of Alexandria, Louisiana, was arrested pursuant to a warrant for simple battery of persons with infirmities. As alleged in the arrest warrant affidavit, Bracey was employed at St. Mary’s Residential Facility, a residential facility for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities. On two occasions, Bracey forcefully dragged a resident of the facility across the floor. The case is being prosecuted by the Louisiana Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit with the permission of the District Attorney’s Office for the Ninth Judicial District.
Adrian Lacour Brooks, 43, of Alexandria, Louisiana, was arrested pursuant to a warrant for cruelty to elderly and persons with infirmities. As alleged in the arrest warrant affidavit, Lacour was a direct care worker with Westside Habilitation, assigned to the Adams Group Home. While working at the facility, Lacour pushed a resident of the facility, causing the resident’s head to strike a wall. The victim suffered a cervical spine injury. The case is being prosecuted by the Louisiana Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit with the permission of the District Attorney’s Office for the Ninth Judicial District.
Carolyn Brown was arrested pursuant to a warrant for Medicaid fraud and filing false public records. Brown, the owner and manager of Positive Choices Counseling Services in Concordia Parish, filed and maintained false CPR certification cards to Medicaid. The case is being prosecuted by the Louisiana Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit with the permission of the District Attorney’s Office for the Seventh Judicial District.
Asha Clark, 23, of Mount Hermon, Louisiana, was arrested pursuant to a warrant for Medicaid fraud. As alleged in the arrest warrant affidavit, Clark was employed as a direct service work through the Medicaid Self Direction Program to provide personal care services for a Medicaid recipient. During her employment, Clark submitted fraudulent claims to Medicaid for services that were not rendered during two separate time periods when the recipient was incarcerated. The total amount paid by Medicaid for these fraudulent claims was $6,610.79. The case is being prosecuted by the Louisiana Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit with the permission of the District Attorney’s Office for the Nineteenth Judicial District.
Olivia Day, 43 of Bunkie, Louisianam was arrested pursuant to a warrant for Medicaid fraud. As alleged in the arrest warrant affidavit, Day, while employed with Kellie’s Sitting Services, submitted claims for personal care services for a Medicaid recipient that were not provided. The total amount of money paid for these fraudulent claims was $2,5,00.20. The case is being prosecuted by the Louisiana Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit with the permission of the District Attorney’s Office for the Nineteenth Judicial District.
Felicia Douglas was arrested pursuant to a warrant for Medicaid fraud. Douglas was the owner of Buddy Driver, LLC, a Medicaid non-emergency medical transportation provider located in Lincoln Parish. As part of Medicaid participation requirements, providers are required to maintain liability insurance in order to provide and submit claims to Medicaid for services allegedly rendered. Douglas submitted fraudulently created certificates of insurance to the Medicaid contractor indicating that Buddy Driver maintained insurance coverage when in fact the provider did not have insurance coverage. The total amount of claims paid by Medicaid during periods when the provider did not have the required coverage is approximately $41,944.39. The case is being prosecuted by the Louisiana Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit with the permission of the District Attorney’s Office for the Nineteenth Judicial District.
Joneisha Dunn, 23, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was arrested pursuant to a warrant for Medicaid fraud. As alleged in the arrest warrant affidavit, Dunn, while employed with A First Name Basis as a direct social worker to provide personal care services for a Medicaid recipient, submitted false claims for services that were not provided and that overlapped with times that Dunn was working at a Jack-in-the-Box restaurant. The amount of money paid for these fraudulent claims was $527.27. The case is being prosecuted by the Louisiana Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit with the permission of the District Attorney’s Office for the Nineteenth Judicial District.
Moriah Edwards, 29, of Lake Charles, Louisiana, was arrested pursuant to a warrant for cruelty to the elderly or persons with infirmities. As alleged in the arrest warrant affidavit, Edwards was employed with Normal Life of Lake Charles/Res Care as a direct service worker providing personal care services for a Medicaid recipient whose plan of care required 24-hour monitoring and that she not be left alone in public. Edwards left the recipient unattended in a vehicle in a parking lot of an apartment complex for over three hours. The case is being prosecuted by the Louisiana Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit with the permission of the District Attorney’s Office for the Fourteenth Judicial District.
Tiera Green, 31, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was arrested pursuant to a warrant for Medicaid fraud. As alleged in the arrest warrant affidavit, Green was a direct social worker for Capital Regions Care located in East Baton Rouge Parish. Green submitted fraudulent claims for providing personal care services for Medicaid patients that overlapped with time periods during which the patients were in the hospital. The fraudulent claims submitted by Green totaled approximately $3,690.11. The case is being prosecuted by the Louisiana Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit with the permission of the District Attorney’s Office for the Nineteenth Judicial District.
Ashley Griffin was arrested pursuant to a warrant for Medicaid fraud. Griffin was a direct service worker for Dependable Care Services, a personal care services provider located in Caddo Parish. While employed by the Medicaid provider, Griffin submitted claims to the provider for payment for allegedly rendering personal care services to Medicaid recipients who were residing in the Shreveport/Mansfield areas while Griffin had overlapping employment with other employers in Texas, including the United States Postal Service. The period of false claims submitted by Griffin through Dependable covered the approximate time period of 2022 through March of 2024. The total fraudulent payment for the false claims submitted by Griffin is $60,823,15. The case is being prosecuted by the Louisiana Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit with the permission of the District Attorney’s Office for the Nineteenth Judicial District.
Mercedes Harris, 34, of Collinston, Louisiana, was arrested pursuant to a warrant for filing or maintaining false public records. As alleged in the arrest warrant affidavit, Harris was the administrator of Healing Life Health Center, as well as the daughter of the owner. Harris created and submitted a fraudulent CPR certification card for an employee in response to an audit by a Medicaid managed care organization. The total fraudulent amount paid based upon the false certification is $16,993.84. The case is being prosecuted by the Louisiana Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit with the permission of the District Attorney’s Office for the Fourth Judicial District.
Tongia Hill Moy was arrested pursuant to a warrant for Medicaid fraud. Moy was a direct social worker for Guidance Personal Care, a personal care services provider located in Ouachita Parish. While employed by the Medicaid provider, Moy submitted claims for personal care services that were not rendered to two Medicaid recipients. The total amount of these false claims is approximately $10,311.01 for claims submitted between March of 2024 through January of 2026. The case is being prosecuted by the Louisiana Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit with the permission of the District Attorney’s Office for the Nineteenth Judicial District.
Constance Jones, 51, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was arrested pursuant to a warrant for filing or maintaining false public records. As alleged in the arrest warrant affidavit, Jones is the owner of Life Matters Counseling and Therapy Services located in Caddo Parish. Jones submitted false CPR certification cards and exclusion checks in response to a Medicaid managed care organization audit. The total fraudulent amount paid based upon these false documents is $44,331.84. The case is being prosecuted by the Louisiana Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit with the permission of the District Attorney’s Office for the First Judicial District.
Chrisshantenite Paul was arrested pursuant to a warrant for Medicaid fraud. Paul was employed as a direct social worker with Sunset Personal Care located in East Baton Rouge Parish. Paul submitted fraudulent claims for services allegedly provided that overlapped with dates and times that the Medicaid recipient was in an inpatient medical facility. The case is being prosecuted by the Louisiana Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit with the permission of the District Attorney’s Office for the Nineteenth Judicial District.
Jaquala Robertson, 36, of Hammond, Louisiana, was arrested pursuant to a warrant for Medicaid fraud. As alleged in the arrest warrant affidavit, Roberston was the employer of Kirstan Wells as part of the Medicaid Self Direction Program and approved false claims for personal care services allegedly provided to Robertson’s child who was a Medicaid recipient while the child was actually present in a day care facility. The amount of money paid by Medicaid for these fraudulent claims was $5,532.95. The case is being prosecuted by the Louisiana Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit with the permission of the District Attorney’s Office for the Nineteenth Judicial District.
Valerie Roy, 34, of Crowley, Louisiana, was arrested pursuant to a warrant for Medicaid Fraud. As alleged in the arrest warrant affidavit, Roy was a direct social worker employed by Golden Rule Care Providers, located in n Acadia Parish. Roy submitted fraudulent claims for providing direct social worker services that overlapped with times that Roy was employed and working at Wal-Mart. The total payment for these fraudulently billed services is $6,199.57. The case is being prosecuted by the Louisiana Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit with the permission of the District Attorney’s Office for the Nineteenth Judicial District.
Amanda Taylor was arrested pursuant to a warrant for Medicaid fraud. Taylor was employed as a counselor for LA Excel Care, a behavioral health provider located in East Baton Rouge Parish. Taylor submitted fraudulent claims for dates and time for services not rendered during periods of overlapping employment as a counselor with the East Baton Rouge Parish School System. The case is being prosecuted by the Louisiana Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit with the permission of the District Attorney’s Office for the Nineteenth Judicial District.
Analeah Turlington, 42, of Pollack, Louisiana, was arrested pursuant to a warrant for cruelty to elderly or persons with infirmities. As alleged in the arrest warrant affidavit, Turlington was employed as a direct care worker at St. Mary’s Residential Training School/Freddy Byrd House. While employed in this capacity, Turlington abused a resident of the facility by kicking the resident, dragging the resident across the floor by the legs, and choking and slamming a resident by the neck against a wall when the resident reached for Turlington’s glasses. The case is being prosecuted by the Louisiana Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit with the permission of the District Attorney’s Office for the Ninth Judicial District.
Victoria Bertrand Trahan, 54, of Crowley, Louisiana, was arrested pursuant to a warrant for Medicaid Fraud. As alleged in the arrest warrant affidavit, Trahan was acting as a direct service worker allegedly providing personal care services to a Medicaid recipient as part of the Self Direction program. Trahan continued to submit false claims for allegedly providing services after the Medicaid recipient had physically moved from one residence to another and was no longer receiving services. The amount of money paid by Medicaid for these fraudulent claims was $9,014.15. The case is being prosecuted by the Louisiana Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit with the permission of the District Attorney’s Office for the Nineteenth Judicial District.
Kirstan Wells, 33, of Hammond, Louisiana, was arrested pursuant to a warrant for Medicaid Fraud. As alleged in the arrest warrant affidavit, Wells submitted false claims for providing personal care services to a Medicaid recipient for times when the recipient was actually in a day care facility. The amount of money paid by Medicaid for these fraudulent claims was $5,532.95. The case is being prosecuted by the Louisiana Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit with the permission of the District Attorney’s Office for the Nineteenth Judicial District.
Christopher Zone, 52, of Alexandria, Louisiana, was arrested pursuant to a warrant for simple battery of persons with infirmities. As alleged in the arrest warrant affidavit, Zone was employed at St. Mary’s Residential Facility, a residential facility for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities. While employed at the facility, Zone hit a resident in the head with a hard wooden object. The case is being prosecuted by the Louisiana Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit with the permission of the District Attorney’s Office for the Ninth Judicial District.

Maine

Jacqueline Yelverton, 40, of Brunswick, Maine, was charged by complaint with endangering the welfare of a dependent person and theft by unauthorized taking. As alleged in the complaint: (i) Yelverton recklessly endangered the health, safety, or mental welfare of a dependent person, namely N.S., a resident of a long-term care facility, who was wholly or partially dependent upon one or more other persons for care or support, because N.S. suffered from a significant limitation in mobility, vision, hearing, or mental functioning or was unable to perform self-care because of advanced age or physical or mental disease, disorder or defect; and (ii) Yelverton engaged in theft of money belonging to a relative of N.S. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Gregg D. Bernstein and Detective Jason Benefield of the Maine Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

Maryland

Rotimi Fagbemi, 70, of Dundalk, Maryland, a pharmacist, was charged by indictment with defrauding a state health plan and theft in connection with a scheme to fraudulently bill Maryland Medicaid. The Maryland Medicaid program paid approximately $174,638.19 based on the false and fraudulent claims. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Carolyne Evans of the Maryland Medicaid Fraud and Vulnerable Victims Unit.

Massachusetts

Jane Mayer, 70, of New Bedford, Massachusetts was charged by indictment with Medicaid false claims and larceny in connection with a scheme to bill Massachusetts’s Medicaid program, MassHealth, for $63,311.34 in personal care attendant services that were not provided. As alleged in the indictment, Mayer submitted timesheets reflecting that she had received personal care attendant services from various purported personal care attendants, including friends and a family member, but those services could not have been provided because the purported personal care attendants were not in Massachusetts and/or were working other jobs at the time of the alleged services. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Molly Mahan of the Massachusetts Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Alan Rodriguez, 30, of Worcester, Massachusetts, and Jannette Matias, 52, of Worcester, Massachusetts were charged by indictment with Medicaid false claims and larceny, and Maritza Ramos, 57, of Worcester, Massachusetts, was charged by indictment with Medicaid false claims in connection with a scheme to bill Massachusetts’s Medicaid program, MassHealth, for $91,790.27 in personal care attendant services that were not provided. The Massachusetts Medicaid Fraud Control Unit alleges that Rodriguez, Matias, and Ramos submitted timesheets reflecting that personal care attendant services had been provided, but those services could not have been provided because the personal care attendant was in jail or, according to GPS monitoring, not at the member’s house at the time of the alleged services. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General William Champlin IV and Investigator Emily Hunt of the Massachusetts Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

Michigan

Kurt Robert Hammond, 56, of Ann Arbor, Michigan, was charged by complaint with Medicaid fraud in connection with billing Medicaid for products never delivered. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Dennis Pheney, Jr. of the Michigan Department of Attorney General, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
John Anthony Kempainen, 43, of Oak Park, Michigan, was charged by complaint with Medicaid fraud in connection with payments he collected from Medicaid for home care services he allegedly failed to provide. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Dennis Pheney, Jr. of the Michigan Department of Attorney General, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Claudia Marie Payne, 47, of Mount Pleasant, Michigan, was charged by complaint with Medicaid fraud in connection with payments she collected from Medicaid for home care services she allegedly failed to provide. The case is being prosecuted by Division Chief David Tanay of the Michigan Department of Attorney General, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Wayne Norbert White, 63, of Detroit, Michigan, was charged by complaint with larceny by conversion in connection with his alleged conversion of funds belonging to the Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network on three separate occasions. The case is being prosecuted by Division Chief David Tanay of the Michigan Department of Attorney General, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

Mississippi

Deja Almore, 30, of Yazoo City, Mississippi, was charged by indictment with false representation to defraud government. As alleged in the indictment, in August 2025, Almore intentionally included a falsified bank document in a Medicaid provider application. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant Attorney General Bryan P. Roberts of the Mississippi Office of the Attorney General, Mississippi Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Yolanda Evette Blackman, 54, of Hattiesburg, Mississippi was charged by indictment with wire fraud and Medicaid fraud in connection with fraudulently billing Mississippi Division of Medicaid. As alleged in the indictment, Blackman caused fraudulent claims for Medicaid services that were not provided to be submitted by her employer, Rehabilitation Centers LLC d/b/a Millcreek of Magee. The Mississippi Division of Medicaid paid approximately $87,606.14 based on the false and fraudulent claims. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant Attorney General Tonya Blair of the Mississippi Office of the Attorney General, Mississippi Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Sheila Boney Collins, 53, of Hollandale, Mississippi, was charged by indictment with Medicaid fraud in connection with fraudulently billing the Mississippi Division of Medicaid. As alleged in the indictment, Collins billed for services purportedly rendered at her adult day care facility for services when the patients were not there. The Mississippi Division of Medicaid paid over $127,615.08 based of the false and fraudulent claims. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant Attorney General L. Michele McCain of the Mississippi Office of the Attorney General, Mississippi Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Ahyana Nicole Crosby, 34, and Angela Nannette Crosby, 51, both of Laurel, Mississippi were charged by indictment with wire fraud and Medicaid fraud in connection with fraudulently billing the Mississippi Division of Medicaid. As alleged in the indictment, Ahyana and Angela Crosby caused fraudulent claims for Medicaid services that were not provided to be submitted by Ahyana Crosby’s employer, Top Choice Healthcare. The Mississippi Division of Medicaid paid approximately $4,784.85 based on the false and fraudulent claims. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant Attorney General Tonya Blair of the Mississippi Office of the Attorney General, Mississippi Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Angela Nannette Crosby, 51, of Laurel, Mississippi was charged by indictment with wire fraud and Medicaid fraud in connection with fraudulently billing the Mississippi Division of Medicaid. As alleged in the indictment, Crosby caused fraudulent claims for Medicaid services that were not provided to be submitted by her employer, Top Choice Healthcare. The Mississippi Division of Medicaid paid approximately $27,272.82 based on the false and fraudulent claims. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant Attorney General Tonya Blair of the Mississippi Office of the Attorney General, Mississippi Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Shawncee Vassar-Cunningham, 51, of Olive Branch, Mississippi, was charged by indictment with wire fraud and Medicaid fraud in connection with fraudulent billing the Mississippi Division of Medicaid. As alleged in the indictment, between 2019 and 2022, Vasser-Cunningham, the owner and operator of Reliant Home Care, LLC, fraudulently submitted claims for services purportedly provided by registered nurses to pediatric patients that were actually provided by licensed practical nurses, which was prohibited by Division of Medicaid regulations. The Mississippi Division of Medicaid paid approximately $1,681,426.98 based on the false and fraudulent claims. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant Attorneys General Chad Lamar and Brantley Walton of the Mississippi Office of the Attorney General, Mississippi Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Linda Jenkins, 46, of Hermanville, Mississippi was charged by indictment with Medicaid fraud in connection with fraudulently billing the Mississippi Division of Medicaid. As alleged in the indictment, Jenkins, a personal care attendant formerly employed with Embracing Hearts Healthcare, fraudulently billed for patient services that were not provided. The Mississippi Division of Medicaid paid approximately $6,825.60 based on the false and fraudulent claims. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant Attorney General Bryan P. Roberts of the Mississippi Office of the Attorney General, Mississippi Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Christopher Curtis Moore, 51, of Gulfport, Mississippi was charged by indictment with wire fraud and Medicaid fraud in connection with fraudulently billing the Mississippi Division of Medicaid. As alleged in the indictment, Moore submitted false service notes related to targeted case management services to his employer, South Mississippi Regional Center. South Mississippi Regional Center subsequently submitted fraudulent claims based on Moore’s false notes to the Mississippi Division of Medicaid resulting in a loss of approximately $12,497.92. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant Attorney General Tonya Blair of the Mississippi Office of the Attorney General, Mississippi Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Isluv Robertson, 36, of Jackson, Mississippi was charged by indictment with wire fraud and Medicaid fraud in connection with fraudulently billing the Mississippi Division of Medicaid. As alleged in the indictment, between 2019 and 2022, Robertson, the owner and operator of Sam’s Choice, fraudulently submitted claims for services purportedly provided by registered nurses to pediatric patients that were actually provided by licensed practical nurses, which was prohibited by Division of Medicaid regulations. The Mississippi Division of Medicaid paid approximately $5,881,371.07 based on the false and fraudulent claims. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant Attorneys General Brantley Walton and Chad Lamar of the Mississippi Office of the Attorney General, Mississippi Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Taylor Christian Rushing, 34, of Gautier, Mississippi was charged by indictment with wire fraud and Medicaid fraud in connection with fraudulently billing the Mississippi Division of Medicaid. As alleged in the indictment, Rushing caused fraudulent claims for Medicaid services that were not provided to be submitted by her employer, Total Health Care Services, Inc. The Mississippi Division of Medicaid paid approximately $4,987.92 based on the false and fraudulent claims. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant Attorney General Tonya Blair of the Mississippi Office of the Attorney General, Mississippi Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Katricia Smith, 47, of Olive Branch, Mississippi, was charged by indictment with wire fraud and Medicaid fraud in connection with fraudulently billing the Mississippi Division of Medicaid. As alleged in the indictment, Smith, the owner and operator of KLS Medical Services, LLC, fraudulently claimed services were provided to patients under a district plan, to which services were never rendered, and also substantially overbilled for services otherwise authorized by the district plan. The Mississippi Division of Medicaid paid approximately $4,480,939.29 based on the false and fraudulent claims. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant Attorneys General Chad Lamar and Brantley Walton of the Mississippi Office of the Attorney General, Mississippi Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

Minnesota

Ahmed Agwa, of Blaine, Minnesota, was charged by complaint with theft offenses in connection with fraudulently billing the Minnesota medical assistance program. As alleged in the complaint, Agwa billed for over $94,000 personal care attendant services, including for over 588 hours of services while he was out of the country, over 3,420 hours of services while the recipient was out of the country, and over 98 hours of services after the recipient died. Agwa received approximately $59,712.96 based on these false and fraudulent claims. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Dominika Kins of the Minnesota Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Shawki Elsaid, of Blaine, Minnesota, was charged by complaint with theft and identity theft for defrauding the Minnesota medical assistance program out of over $182,000.00. As alleged in the complaint, Elsaid submitted over 1,655 fraudulent claims for personal care attendant services he did not render. Elsaid claimed to render services while he was out of the country, the recipient he was claiming to provide services to was out of the country, and he obtained and used the identity of others to document personal care attendant services that were not provided. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Dominika Kins of the Minnesota Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Tremayne Jackson, of St. Paul, Minnesota, was charged by complaint with theft offenses in connection with defrauding the Minnesota medical assistance program of over $125,000. As alleged in the complaint, Jackson claimed to provide over 6,000 hours of personal care assistant services, companion care services, and homemaker services in Minnesota when he could not have provided them, including during a nearly two-year period of time where he served as a college basketball coach in Haviland, Kansas. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Esther Soria of the Minnesota Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Christine Pryor, of Fargo, North Dakota, was charged by complaint with theft and identity theft in connection with defrauding the Minnesota medical assistance program out of over $156,000. As alleged in the complaint, Pryor claimed to provide psychotherapy and alcohol and drug counseling services to Medicaid recipients despite having no license or credentials to do so. Pryor, instead, unlawfully used the credentials and identities of three licensed professionals, who had no knowledge of Pryor’s actions, while claiming to provide Medicaid-funded services to over 160 Medicaid clients. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Jilian Frueh of the Minnesota Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Fernando Navarro, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, was charged by complaint with felony theft for bilking the Minnesota medical assistance program out of nearly $70,000. As alleged in the complaint, Navarro claimed to provide personal care assistant services in Minnesota to a child for nearly 25 months after the child moved to California. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Robert Lewis of the Minnesota Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Edward Sherrod, of Columbia Heights, Minnesota, was charged by complaint with felony theft. As alleged in the complaint, Sherrod bilked the Minnesota medical assistance program out of over $60,000 by billing for over 3,500 hours of personal care assistant services that did not occur as alleged because Sherrod was working at another job or was providing services to a different recipient in a different location at the same time. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Esther Soria of the Minnesota Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Jessica Wavra, of East Grand Forks, Minnesota, was charged by complaint with theft. As alleged in the complaint, Wavra defrauded the Minnesota medical assistance program out of over $29,000 by billing for adult rehabilitative mental health services and targeted case management services that she did not provide. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Jilian Frueh of the Minnesota Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

Missouri

Tammy Arnold, 57, of Cuba, Missouri, and John Black, 26, of Cuba, Missouri, were charged by complaints with Medicaid fraud and stealing by deceit in the amount of $26,083.54. As alleged in the complaints, Arnold was ineligible to be a Medicaid in-home personal care provider due to her prior criminal convictions. Because of that, Black fraudulently enrolled as a Medicaid personal care attendant in Arnold’s stead and billed Medicaid for 381 false dates of service for Medicaid recipient J.K. Arnold and Black shared their criminal proceeds. The case is being prosecuted by Cole County, Missouri Prosecutor Wm. Locke Thompson and the Missouri Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Patricia Busby, 49, of Saint Louis, Missouri, and Christine Busby, 29, of Saint Louis Missouri, were charged by complaints with Medicaid fraud and stealing by deceit in the amount of $18,278.85. As alleged in the complaints, Patricia Busby, a Medicaid recipient, falsely claimed that she needed personal care services because she could not perform activities of daily living such as cooking, bathing, dressing, and toileting. In fact, Patricia Busby worked as an armed security guard at various locations in the St. Louis, Missouri area for 3-12 hours shifts, walked the parking lots and aisles, and wore a duty utility belt and a firearm. Christine Busby, Patricia Busby’s daughter, also worked as an armed security guard at the same company. Patricia Busby fraudulently claimed to Medicaid that Christine Busby was acting as her personal care attendant. On 44 days between March 12, 2025, through January 2, 2026, Christine allegedly provided personal care services to Patricia at home, when, in fact, Patricia or Christine had worked as a security guard. The case is being prosecuted by Cole County, Missouri Prosecutor Wm. Locke Thompson and the Missouri Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Contina Graves, 53, of Saint Louis, Missouri, was charged by complaint with false statement to receive a health care payment, stealing by deceit, and identify theft in connection with Medicaid fraud in the amount of $23,780.81. As alleged in the complaint, Graves, a Medicaid recipient, stole the identify of her cousin, E.G., and enrolled him as her personal care attendant. Graves submitted 307 false claims for services not provided. To obtain the fraudulent Medicaid payments, Graves used E.G.’s personal information to open two bank accounts in E.G.’s name, which she controlled. Graves directed the Medicaid payments be deposited into those accounts and account transactions indicate the deposited funds were used for the benefit of Graves. The case is being prosecuted by Cole County, Missouri Prosecutor Wm. Locke Thompson and the Missouri Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Darcee Jo Heath, 38, of Linn Creek, Missouri, was charged by complaint with forgery and using fraudulent nursing credentials. As alleged in the complaint, Heath forged and presented college records and a diploma claiming she graduated from a licensed practical nurse program in order to obtain employment at a hospital as a graduate practical nurse. The nurses responsible for overseeing Heath’s work recognized her incompetence, which lead to an investigation and her termination. The case is being prosecuted by Camden County, Missouri Prosecutor Richelle Grosvernor and the Missouri Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Romond E. Holt, 40, of Kansas City, Missouri, was charged by complaint with false statement to receive a health care payment and stealing by deceit in connection with Medicaid fraud in the amount of $4,743.61. As alleged in the complaint, Holt submitted 32 claims for personal care services he purportedly provided to a Medicaid recipient between December 2023 and June 2024. These services were not provided because the Medicaid recipient was hospitalized and in long-term rehabilitation facilities during that time. The case is being prosecuted by Cole County Missouri, Prosecutor Wm. Locke Thompson and the Missouri Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Johnny Howard, 44, of Saint Louis, Missouri, was charged by complaint with false statement to receive a health care payment and stealing by deceit in connection with Medicaid fraud in the amount of $3,917.81. As alleged in the complaint, Howard was the owner and biller for Live 2 Give LLC, an in-home health provider. Howard submitted claims for personal care and nursing services, falsely claiming that services were provided to two Medicaid recipients on 67 dates between May 2023 to August 2023. The case is being prosecuted by Cole County, Missouri Prosecutor Wm. Locke Thompson and the Missouri Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Carolyn S. McGinnis, 75, of Richmond, Missouri, was charged by complaint with false statement to receive a health care payment and stealing by deceit in connection Medicaid fraud in the amount of $3,022.94. As alleged in the complaint, McGinnis, a Medicaid recipient, submitted 35 false claims purporting that her personal care attendant, S.M., was providing personal care services to McGinnis at McGinnis’s home. In fact, S.M. was not providing services and McGinnis was not living at home. The case is being prosecuted by Cole County Missouri, Prosecutor Wm. Locke Thompson and the Missouri Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Priscilla Miller, 35, of Portage Des Sioux, Missouri, was charged by complaint with false statement to receive a health care payment and stealing by deceit in connection with Medicaid fraud in the amount of $5,428.74. As alleged in the complaint, Miller filed 57 fraudulent claims with Medicaid purporting to have provided personal care services to Medicaid recipient, M.P, from January to May 2025. However, M.P. was hospitalized or in a skilled nursing facility on the dates of service falsely claimed by Miller. The case is being prosecuted by Cole County, Missouri Prosecutor Wm. Locke Thompson and the Missouri Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Kevin E. Oliver, 30, of Independence, Missouri, was charged by complaint with false statement to receive a health care payment and stealing by deceit in connection Medicaid fraud in the amount of $6,171.40. As alleged in the complaint, Oliver filed 82 fraudulent claims with Medicaid purporting to have provided personal care services to Medicaid recipient, P.O., from January to July 2024. However, P.O. was hospitalized or in a long-term rehabilitation facility on the dates of service falsely claimed by Oliver. The case is being prosecuted by Cole County, Missouri Prosecutor Wm. Locke Thompson and the Missouri Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Galing Peel, 55, of Clarkton, Missouri, and Debbie Hamlet, 50, of Dexter, Missouri, were charged by complaints with false statement to receive a health care payment and stealing by deceit in connection with Medicaid fraud in the amount of $66,238.48. As alleged in the complaints, Peel, a personal care attendant, and Hamlet, the mother and personal representative of Medicaid recipient, W.W., collaborated to submit false claims for personal care services purportedly provided on 333 days between January 2021 to February 2025. Peel did not provide the services to W.W. and instead was working at other companies during the dates and times Peel claimed to have provided services to W.W. Hamlet falsely represented to Medicaid that the services had been provided. Financial records reveal that Peel and Hamlet shared the fraudulently obtained Medicaid funds. The case is being prosecuted by Cole County, Missouri Prosecutor Wm. Locke Thompson and the Missouri Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Chiquita Perry, 53, of Saint Louis, Missouri, and Yolanda Simmons, 51, of Saint Louis, Missouri, were charged by complaints with false statement to receive a health care payment and stealing by deceit in connection with Medicaid fraud in the amount of $51,798.77. As alleged in the complaint, Simmons purportedly provided in-home personal care services for Perry on 627 days from March 2022 to May 2024. However, on the claimed dates of service Simmons and/or Perry were, in fact, working elsewhere, and not at Perry’s home. Additionally, Perry falsely claimed to need help with activities of daily living, even though she actually worked full time at General Motors. The case is being prosecuted by Cole County, Missouri Prosecutor Wm. Locke Thompson and the Missouri Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Arlisa T. Powell, 37, of Florissant, Missouri was charged by complaint with false statement to receive a health care payment, identify theft, and stealing by deceit in connection with Medicaid fraud in the amount of $80,551.56. As alleged in the complaint, Powell, an office manager for Angels Touch LLC, stole the identity of a former Angels Touch employee, H.R., signed H.R. up as personal care attendant, and fraudulently billed 192 claims for services purportedly provided to two Medicaid recipients from April 2023 to March 2024. Powell also used H.R.’s stolen identity to setup a Cash App account to receive the Medicaid payments on the false claims. The case is being prosecuted by Cole County, Missouri Prosecutor Wm. Locke Thompson and the Missouri Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Claudia J. Spagner, 77, of Saint Louis, Missouri, was charged by complaint with false statement to receive a health care payment and stealing by deceit in connection Medicaid fraud in the amount of $14,983.95. As alleged in the complaint, Spagner submitted 203 fraudulent claims to Medicaid purporting to have provided personal care services to two Medicaid recipients from January 2024 to October 2024. However, on the claimed dates of service one of the Medicaid recipients was deceased and the other was in a skilled nursing facility. The case is being prosecuted by Cole County, Missouri Prosecutor Wm. Locke Thompson and the Missouri Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Michelle Terry, 48, of Saint Peters, Missouri was charged by complaint with false statement to receive a health care payment and stealing by deceit in connection with Medicaid fraud in the amount of $114,480.32. As alleged in the complaint, Terry was the owner of Destiny Adult Daycare Center LLC (“Destiny”), a health care provider in Missouri. Terry submitted false claims for purported services to four Medicaid recipients on 953 days of services from May 2023 to September 2024. In fact, none of the four Medicaid recipients was present at Destiny on those dates. The case is being prosecuted by Cole County, Missouri Prosecutor Wm. Locke Thompson and the Missouri Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Andrea Thomas, 33, of Saint Charles, Missouri, and Ameasha Poindexer, 40, of Florissant, Missouri, were charged by complaints with false statement to receive a health care payment and stealing by deceit in connection with Medicaid fraud in the amount of $18,679.58 for Thomas and $10,746.41 for Poindexer. As alleged in the complaints, Thomas and Poindexer, personal care attendants, submitted false claims to Medicaid claiming they had provided personal care services to their mother, Medicaid recipient K.H. Between April 2023 and June 2025, Thomas claimed to have provided services on 105 days and Poindexter claimed to have provided services on 59 days, when in fact their mother was hospitalized and services could not have been provided on those dates. The case is being prosecuted by Cole County, Missouri Prosecutor Wm. Locke Thompson and the Missouri Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Cortez J. Thompson, 36, of Saint Louis, Missouri, was charged by complaint with false statement to receive a health care payment and stealing by deceit in connection with Medicaid fraud in the amount of $18,718.17. As alleged in the complaint, Thompson submitted false claims to Medicaid purporting to have provided in-home personal care services to three Medicaid recipients, L.B., R.M., and T.M. on 174 dates between July 2024 to April 2025. However, on the claimed dates of service, Thompson was working as a field technician and could not have provided the services as billed. Additionally, between June 2024 and March 2026, Thompson billed for personal care services purportedly provided to L.B. on 23 dates when L.B. was, in fact, hospitalized. The case is being prosecuted by Cole County, Missouri Prosecutor Wm. Locke Thompson and the Missouri Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Laura Volkart, 43, of Festus, Missouri, was charged by complaint with financial exploitation of a disabled person and stealing by deceit. As alleged in the complaint, Volkart used her role as a program director to deceive B.Y.’s sisters, who managed B.Y.’s expenses, into paying Volkart $18,516. The money was purportedly for medical services, a washing machine, a recliner, clothing, a desk, and spending cash that B.Y. never received. Volkart directed B.Y.’s sisters to send the money to Volkart’s personal Venmo and PayPal accounts. The case is being prosecuted by the Missouri Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Chontell Wilkes, 34, of Saint Louis, Missouri, and Sandra Wilkes, 55, of Saint Louis, Missouri were charged by complaints with false statement to receive a health care payment and stealing by deceit in connection with Medicaid fraud in the amount of $121,362.20. As alleged in the complaints, Chontell Wilkes and Sandra Wilkes, owners of Smiles Adult Day Care (“Smiles ADC”), submitted 1,418 false claims for adult day care services that were not provided. From December 2024 through February 2025, Chontell Wilkes and Sandra Wilkes claimed to have provided services at Smiles ADC on days when, in fact, Smiles ADC was closed and no services were provided. The case is being prosecuted by Cole County, Missouri Prosecutor Wm. Locke Thompson and the Missouri Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

Montana

Victoria Davenport, 60, of Great Falls, Montana, was charged by information with Medicaid fraud, false claims to a public agency, and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence in connection with a scheme to fraudulently bill Medicaid $2,300,729.65, of which $1,143,131.17 was paid. As alleged in the information, Davenport, a licensed addiction counselor and licensed clinical professional counselor, submitted false claims to the Medicaid for counseling services provided by unlicensed staff who were unable to bill Medicaid independently. Davenport submitted these claims under her name, falsely representing herself as the provider, and she falsely billed Medicaid for 217 claims on dates when she was out of the country. Further, after receiving notification of a pending investigation and multiple requests for records, Davenport submitted altered documentation to the Montana Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Alexandra van Belle of the Montana Department of Justice Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
- Alison Watt, 55, of Billings, Montana, was charged by information with Medicaid fraud and false claims to a public agency in connection with a scheme to fraudulently bill Medicaid $249,587.92, of which approximately $134,042.28 was paid. As alleged in the information, Watt, a licensed clinical professional counselor and licensed addiction counselor, submitted false and fraudulent claims to Medicaid for services provided by licensure candidates who were unable to bill Medicaid independently. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Alexandra van Belle of the Montana Department of Justice Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

Nebraska

Nala Care LLC, a home and community-based service provider, and its owner Terry Webb, of Omaha, Nebraska, reached a civil settlement and agreed to pay $150,000 to resolve allegations that the company knowingly submitted claims to Medicaid totaling $55,496.50 for services provided between November 2, 2024, and January 30, 2026, by two caregivers who were excluded from the Medicaid program. The case was settled by Assistant Attorney General Katherine O’Brien of the Nebraska Medicaid Fraud and Patient Abuse Unit.
Becky Stamp, 56, of Bradshaw, Nebraska, was charged by information with theft by unlawful taking, unauthorized use of financial transaction device, and knowing and intentional exploitation of a vulnerable adult. As alleged in the information, Stamp stole more than $167,000 from 22 vulnerable victims across Nebraska while acting as their guardian. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorneys General Justin J. Hall and Susan M. Napolitano of the Nebraska Medicaid Fraud and Patient Abuse Unit.

New Hampshire

Hozan Alfehel, age 36, of Rochester, New Hampshire, was charged by complaint with Medicaid fraud and theft by deception in connection with her submission of fraudulent documentation claiming that she performed personal care services for a Medicaid beneficiary, resulting in a loss amount of approximately $89,000. As alleged in the complaint, Hozan, while acting as a personal care provider for a Medicaid beneficiary residing in New Hampshire through the New Hampshire Choices for Independence Program, billed for services she did not provide, resulting in the theft of Medicaid funding in excess of $1,500. The case is being prosecuted by the New Hampshire Office of the Attorney General, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

New Jersey

Michael Servon, 43, of Toms River, New Jersey, was charged by indictment with health care claims fraud, Medicaid fraud, and theft by deception in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud Medicaid by billing for services not rendered under the Personal Preference Program. As alleged in the indictment, Servon, an employee under the Personal Preference Program for Public Partnerships LLC, billed $2,688.00 for services not rendered to a Medicaid beneficiary while the beneficiary was hospitalized and deceased. Public Partnerships LLC paid Servon a total of $1,504.00 during this time. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Alyssa Wissman of the New Jersey Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

New York

Gifty Appiah, 59, of Staten Island, New York, and Francia Aguila,53, of Farmington, New York, along with Steinway Hope Medical, P.C., were charged by complaint with offering false instrument for filing and unauthorized practice of a profession (medicine), respectively. From March 16, 2021 to November 12, 2024, Medicaid paid Steinway $105,018. The complaint alleges that Appiah, a licensed nurse practitioner and an enrolled provider in Medicaid, between March 16, 2021, and November 12, 2024, permitted Aguila, an unlicensed individual, to practice medicine in Appiah’s name at Steinway Medical, a purported medical clinic in Queens. Aguila, who did not possess any professional license in New York, examined patients and ordered prescriptions using Appiah’s name. Steinway, using Appiah’s name and credentials, billed multiple Medicaid manager care organizations, including Fidelis Care, Healthfirst, and MetroPlus, for medical services provided by an unlicensed person. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant Attorney General Michael Orvets of the New York State Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Miguel Baron, 63, of Yonkers, New York, Baron Pharmacy and Guardiola Pharmacy, pharmacies owned by Baron, and Prime Home Enterprise, LLC, a company controlled by Baron, were charged by felony complaint with grand larceny, health care fraud, kickbacks, and money laundering for stealing at least $12,000,000 from Medicaid. From January 1, 2023, to April 29, 2026, Medicaid paid the pharmacies $104,360,893.00. As alleged in the complaint, Baron, acting in concert with others, engaged in a scheme in which he caused Guardiola and Baron Pharmacies to submit false claims for reimbursement to Medicaid that were based on an unlawful kickback arrangement with Medicaid recipients and for prescription medication that the defendants either never dispensed or dispensed with medication that was “diverted,” i.e., purchased from black market suppliers who were not licensed or registered to sell prescription medication in New York. In total, between January 1, 2023 and April 29, 2026, Medicaid paid Baron and Guardiola Pharmacies collectively more than$12 million based on reimbursement claims for which the pharmacies did not have lawfully purchased medications to dispense as claimed. Detectives from the New York State Attorney General, with assistance from federal law enforcement partners, arrested Baron at LaGuardia Airport before he attempted to board a one-way flight to Toronto. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant Attorneys General Chase Ruddy and Matthew Nevola of the New York State Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Tammy Echols, 56, of Rochester, New York, was charged by felony complaint with grand larceny and scheme to defraud for, from January 1, 2023 to August 1, 2025, using her position at the St. John’s Home (“St. John’s”) business office in Rochester, New York to steal resident Medicaid Net Available Monthly Income (“NAMI”) funds. Echols carried out her scheme by causing St. John’s to issue checks to her friends and associates who, after taking a small fee, would kick back the majority of those checks to Echols. Echols also had St. John’s issue checks to businesses to whom she personally owed money to pay off bills she owed to those businesses. In total, from January 1, 2023 to August 1, 2025, Echols stole $154,525.99 that belonged to St. John’s, its residents, or their residents’ authorized recipients. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant Attorney General Mark Monaghan of the New York State Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Nduka Lewis Ekpenyong, 36, of Hewlett, New York along with his company Duke Medical Inc. (“Duke”), was charged by indictment with grand larceny and related charges for stealing from Medicaid. From January 2023 to July 2025, Medicaid paid Duke $3,724,750. The indictment alleges that from January 2023 to July 2025, Ekpenyong, through Duke, submitted over 6,000 fraudulent claims to Medicaid for an expensive and medically unnecessary enteral formula for children, “Pediasure with Peptides.” The investigation revealed Ekpenyong falsified purchase orders and did not purchase the majority of “Pediasure with Peptides” for which Duke Medical submitted claims to Medicaid. As a result, children in need did not receive the formula they were prescribed, and Ekpenyong fraudulently pocketed more than $2.5 million from Medicaid. The criminal case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant Attorney General Michael Hendrick of the New York State Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (“NYMFCU”). NYMFCU also filed an asset forfeiture action against Ekpenyong through which NYMFCU seized assets Ekpenyong purchased with his stolen Medicaid funds, including a 2024 Bentley and a 2024 Range Rover. Through the civil action, NYMFCU also asserted an interest in Ekpenyong’s multi-million-dollar house on Long Island, the mortgage for which he paid with funds stolen from Medicaid. The civil asset forfeiture action is being handled by Special Assistant Attorneys General Ian Bain and Senior Counsel Emily Auletta of the New York State Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Maksim Grinberg, 53, of New York, New York was charged by indictment with grand larceny and related charges for stealing more than $9 million from Medicaid. Also indicted were eight corporations controlled by Grinberg: Family Eye Care Ophthalmology, PC.; 9th Street Vision Care, Inc.; Harlem Eye Care, Inc.; Parkslope Eye Care, Inc; Graham Eye Care, LLC; Flatbush Eye Care, Inc.; MGBK Management, LLC; and Eyepic, Inc. From January 1, 2024, to July 31, 2025, Medicaid paid Grinberg and his companies $54,323,707. The indictment alleges that from January 1, 2024, to July 31, 2025, Grinberg caused to be submitted thousands of claims that falsely represented that four physicians performed surgeries to remove scars on patients’ eyelid linings due to infection. However, the businesses Grinberg ran were merely optical shops for fitting eyeglasses, and the surgeries billed to Medicaid for reimbursement never occurred. Grinberg allegedly instructed his staff to use the doctors’ credentials to bill three Medicaid managed care organizations, including Fidelis Care New York, Healthfirst PHSP, and Molina Healthcare of New York. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant Attorneys General Yuri Zanow and Michael Hendrick of the New York State Medicaid Fraud Control Unit with assistance from the Office of the New York State Comptroller’s Office.

New Mexico

August Daniel Martin, 60, of Gallup, New Mexico, was charged by complaint with acquisition or attempted acquisition of a controlled substance by misrepresentation, forgery, and administrative violations of the Controlled Substances Act by a provider in connection with diversion of prescription drugs, including 60 pills of Adderall. As alleged in the complaint, Martin, while working as a pharmacist, diverted Adderall by forging prescriptions in the name of others for himself. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Jessica Randall of the New Mexico Department of Justice.

Nevada

Yoselin Elizabeth Sorto Mejia, 23, of Las Vegas, Nevada, and Salvi Therapeutics, Ltd. (“Salvi”), a Nevada limited liability company, were charged by complaint with submitting false claims to Medicaid, intentional failure to maintain adequate records, theft, and money laundering in connection with a scheme to fraudulently bill Medicaid. As alleged in the complaint, Mejia was the owner of Salvi, a Medicaid contracted advanced practice registered nurse provider group. As part of the scheme, Mejia fraudulently submitted claims to Medicaid through Salvi for transcranial magnetic stimulation (“TMS”) services purportedly provided to Medicaid recipients by healthcare professionals employed by Salvi. However, the health care professional under whose name Mejia and Salvi billed TMS services denied ever providing such services. In addition, the Medicaid recipients denied receiving TMS services. As alleged, Mejia caused the submission of approximately $2,781,651.73 in false and fraudulent claims to Medicaid, and received over $2.1 million. The case is being prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Steven Sidhu of the Nevada Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Dayana Santander Morales, 35, of Henderson, Nevada, and DC Medical Center, LLC (“DC Medical”), a Nevada limited liability company, were charged by complaint with submitting false Medicaid claims, obtaining and using the personal identifying information of five or more persons for unlawful purposes, intentional failure to maintain adequate records, and theft in connection with a scheme to fraudulently bill Medicaid. As alleged in the complaint, Morales was the owner of DC Medical, a Medicaid provider. As part of the scheme, Morales fraudulently submitted claims to Medicaid through DC Medical, falsely claiming that various service providers had rendered alpha stimulation/electrical stimulation and transcranial magnetic stimulation services to Medicaid recipients. For example, one doctor was contracted with DC Medical, but he never provided the services billed by Morales and DC Medical and was in fact out of the country during significant periods that Morales and DC Medical claimed he was the servicing provider. Morales caused the submission of approximately over $2.1 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicaid, of which approximately $1.3 million was paid. The case is being prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Steven Sidhu of the Nevada Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

Ohio

Dr. Tiffany Bell, 45, of Westerville, Ohio, was charged by indictment with Medicaid fraud and aggravated theft, resulting in a loss to Medicaid of $197,981.46. As alleged, Bell had a significant increase in claims related to certain types of behavioral health services and was the highest-billing provider for such services in 2025. It was determined that 14 Medicaid recipients (minors) did not receive the therapeutic behavioral health services that were billed for them. Despite this, Dr. Bell billed for these services as though she had provided them for three hours per day, four days per week. As further alleged, the medical records supporting these claims were fabricated and none of the recipients had ever met Dr. Bell. As alleged, Dr. Bell unlawfully obtained Medicaid numbers for the children to facilitate fraudulent billings. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Corinne Buker and Senior Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Linn of the Ohio Office of the Attorney General, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Ashley Fritz, 37, of Cleveland, Ohio was charged by indictment with Medicaid fraud and theft in connection with a scheme to defraud Medicaid of $1,874.88. As alleged, Fritz, an independent home health aide, had not provided home health services as scheduled and offered a kickback to the recipient to get blank time sheets signed. The case is being prosecuted by Principal Assistant Attorney General Andrew Kielczewski and Assistant Attorney General Kate Osterback of the Ohio Office of the Attorney General, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Alexandra Holford, 38, of Elyria, Ohio, was charged by indictment with Medicaid fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud Medicaid of approximately $1,524.53. As alleged, Holford’s services were inconsistent with claims she submitted to the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities. The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant Attorney General Joel Walker and Assistant Attorney General Esra Ozturk of the Ohio Office of the Attorney General, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Deborah Nickler, 43, of Tiffin, Ohio, was charged by indictment with Medicaid fraud and theft, which resulted in a loss to Medicaid of $1,765.79. As alleged, Nickler, a home health aide, was billing Medicaid for services she did not provide. The case is being prosecuted by Principal Assistant Attorney General Andrew Kielczewski and Assistant Attorney General Kate Osterback of the Ohio Office of the Attorney General, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Anita Nixon, 47, of Cincinnati, Ohio, was charged by indictment with Medicaid fraud and grand theft, which resulted in a loss to Medicaid of $110,237.74. As alleged, Nixon, a home health aide billed Medicaid for services she did not provide when she was working a second job. The case is being prosecuted by Principal Assistant Attorney General Sarah L. Leatherman of the Ohio Office of the Attorney General, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Jimmie Smith, 44, of Columbus, Ohio, was charged by indictment with Medicaid fraud and grand theft, which resulted in a total loss to Medicaid of $13,438.50. As alleged, Smith, a home health aide, had stopped providing services to his recipient in the summer of 2025 but continued submitting time sheets to his employing agency. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Corinne Buker and Senior Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Linn of the Ohio Office of the Attorney General, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

Oklahoma

Larry Burns, 78, Laryn Burns, 43, and Robert Smith, 74, were charged by information with Medicaid fraud, conspiracy to commit Medicaid fraud, and violating the Oklahoma Computer Crimes Act, in connection with a scheme to submit false claims in the approximate amount of $235,000 to the Oklahoma Medicaid program, resulting in a loss to Medicaid of approximately $165,000. As alleged, Larry Burns, a licensed psychologist, his daughter, Laryn Burns, and their unlicensed “colleague,” Robert Smith, worked together to illegally create and perform psychological evaluations for clients with disabilities and special needs. The case is being prosecuted by Jessica Hampton of the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Ergonomic Consultants, LLC, a provider of speech, occupational, and physical therapy services, reached a civil settlement to pay the State of Oklahoma $768,710.90 to resolve allegations that the company submitted claims to Medicaid falsely stating that services had been provided by fully licensed supervisory therapists, instead of the assistant therapists that actually rendered the services, thereby increasing the amount of money it was paid from Medicaid. The settlement also resolved allegations that Ergonomic Consultants billed Medicaid for services using the National Provider Identifiers of therapists who did not perform the services but had the necessary credentials, even though the services were performed by providers who did not have the necessary credentials. The case was settled by Assistant Attorney General Jamie Bloyd of the Oklahoma Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
John Parker Kempf, 44, was charged by information with Medicaid fraud, identity theft, and violating the Oklahoma Computer Crimes Act in connection with a scheme to submit false claims to the Oklahoma Medicaid Program in the approximate amount of $28,765.52. As alleged, Kempf, a licensed behavioral health counselor, billed the Oklahoma Medicaid program for services he did not render to clients as well as for services purportedly rendered to individuals who never received any kind of therapy service from Kempf. The case is being prosecuted by Jessica Hampton of the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

Oregon

Edward Morgan III, 39, of Beaverton, Oregon, was charged by information with computer crime, theft, forgery, and identity theft, in connection with fraud involving housing assistance through Health-Related Social Needs Funds. The case is being prosecuted by Special Deputy District Attorney Alex Hargrove of the Oregon Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Linda Sue Thomas, 57, of Corvallis, Oregon, and Gateway of Willamette Valley (“Gateway”), located in Corvallis, Oregon, were charged by informations with aggravated theft, making a false claim for health care payment, and theft. As alleged in the informations, Thomas is the owner of Gateway and between January 2024 and April 2024, Thomas and Gateway billed Medicaid for day support program services that were not actually provided to Medicaid recipients. The case is being prosecuted by Special Deputy District Attorney Alex Hargrove of the Oregon Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Amanda Joy Booth Thorne, 44, of Tigard, Oregon, was charged by information with making a false claim for health care payment, theft, and aggravated identity theft. As alleged in the information, Thorne, a former Lane County employee, used the government credit card issued to her to make purchases for developmental disabilities services clients for her own personal expenses, including paying rent and making a down payment on a car. The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant Attorney General Daniel R. Reesor of the Oregon Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

Pennsylvania

Tanisha Armstrong, 38, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was charged by complaint with Medicaid fraud and theft by deception in connection with fraudulent claims to Medicaid for purportedly providing services to more than one Medicaid consumer at the same time. As alleged, between October 24, 2023, and May 4, 2025, Armstrong submitted approximately 3,305 hours that could not have been rendered because Armstrong was purporting to provide services to two individuals at the same time in two different locations. Armstrong’s fraudulent time submissions caused the managed care organization AmeriHealth Caritas to pay approximately $70,332 in Medicaid funds for services not rendered. The case is being prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Susann B. Shore of the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Medicaid Fraud Control Section.
Teresa Geiger, 47, of Apollo, Pennsylvania, was charged by complaint with Medicaid fraud, theft by deception, and receiving stolen property in connection with submitting $3,727.18 worth of false time entries for personal assistance services. As alleged in the complaint, Geiger, a direct care worker, submitted time entries as if she were performing personal assistance services when the participants were receiving inpatient treatment. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Nathan Michaux of the Pennsylvania Medicaid Fraud Control Section.
Edward Green, 50, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was charged by complaint with Medicaid fraud, theft by deception, and tampering with public records in connection with submitting more than $21,000 worth of false time entries for personal assistance services. As alleged in the complaint, Green, a direct care worker, submitted time entries as if he were performing personal assistance services when the participant was actually incarcerated during those times. The case is being prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General of the Pennsylvania Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Samantha Hall, 34, of York, Pennsylvania, and Jennifer Coleman, 51, of York, Pennsylvania, were separately charged by complaint with Medicaid fraud, theft by deception, and criminal conspiracy in connection with a $7,307.35 scheme to defraud Medicaid. As alleged in the complaints, Hall, a personal care attendant, billed for attendant care services not rendered to Coleman, a purported Medicaid consumer. Hall then shared a portion of the fraudulently obtained proceeds with Coleman. The case is being prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Christopher R. Sherwood of the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Medicaid Fraud Control Section.
Ghada Mahjoub, 54, of Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, was charged by complaint with Medicaid fraud, theft by deception, and tampering with public records in connection with a scheme to submit fraudulent claims for behavioral specialist services that were not provided to children in school or community settings, resulting in a loss to the Pennsylvania Medical Assistance Program of $9,845.00. As alleged in the complaint, between January 1, 2020 and July 31, 2022, Mahjoub, a licensed behavioral specialist, reported providing over 500 hours of individual services to multiple patients at the same time. In order to perpetrate this fraud, Mahjoub submitted falsified documentation, including case notes, for services that were not provided. The Pennsylvania Medical Assistance program paid $9,845.00 for the services that could not have been provided. The case is being prosecuted by Attorney in Charge Eric J. Stryd of the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Medicaid Fraud Control Section.
Kyania Townes, 40, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was charged by complaint with Medicaid fraud, theft by deception, and tampering with public records, resulting in a loss to the Pennsylvania Medical Assistance Program of $108,344.26. As alleged in the complaint, Townes was employed as a personal care attendant (“PCA”) with home health agency Blessings4Ever. During this time period, Townes was also employed with Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania (“CHOP”) and Jefferson Hospital. Between January 4, 2021, and March 29, 2024, Townes submitted time entries to Blessings4Ever for approximately 5,134 hours of personal care services that were not provided because she was physically working at CHOP or Jefferson Hospital. Townes allegedly committed similar conduct with respect to another home health agency. Townes also allegedly paid a portion of her PCA wages as kickbacks to the individuals to whom she was supposed to be providing services. The case is being prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Edward M. Louka of the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Medicaid Fraud Control Section.
Shaquil Veney, 32, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was charged by complaint with Medicaid fraud, theft by deception, and tampering with public records in connection with the submission of false time entries for personal assistance services totaling more than $41,000. As alleged in the complaint, from August 2022 to June 2023, Veney worked as a personal care attendant and submitted overlapping time entries for services he purportedly provided to two Medicaid consumers living at different addresses. The case is being prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Benjamin McKenna of the Pennsylvania Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

Puerto Rico

Laboratorio Clínico del Pueblo, located in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, and its owner Daniel Boris Lipton, 62, of Carolina, Puerto Rico, reached a civil settlement to pay $153,776.74 to resolve allegations that the company billed and collected payment from the Medicaid program for false services. As set forth in the settlement agreement, the services were provided to beneficiaries, but the laboratory disregarded the requirement of medical necessity, as well as the criteria established by the CDC and adopted by CMS, namely, that such services be duly ordered by a qualified medical provider. As a result, the laboratory billed Medicaid for services that did not meet the required coverage parameters and obtained improper payments. The case was settled by Assistant District Attorney Brenda Rosado-Aponte of the Puerto Rico Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Laboratorio Clínico del Pueblo was charge by indictment with misappropriation of public funds and fraud against the Medicaid Program. As alleged in the indictment, from August 2022 to May 2023, Laboratorio Clínico del Pueblo submitted fraudulent claims to the health plans First Medical, MMM Healthcare, Triple-S Salud, and Plan de Salud Menonita in the amount of $114,064.54, of which $76,888.37 was paid. As part of the scheme, claims for COVID-19 tests were billed repetitively or consecutively using the information of certain beneficiaries. The case was settled by Assistant District Attorney Brenda Rosado-Aponte of the Puerto Rico Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Jorge E. Rodríguez Wilson, 65, of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Javier Ortíz Hernández of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Wilson Orthopaedics Medical Corporation, of San Juan, Puerto Rico, were charged by indictments for the illegal practice of medicine, submitting and promoting false claims to the Medicaid Program, dispensing or prescribing controlled substances without legal authorization, fraud, and misappropriation of public funds. As alleged in the indictments, from March 2025 to January 2026, while his medical license remained suspended, Dr. Rodríguez Wilson, through his company Wilson Orthopaedics, submitted false claims totaling $1,590,058.21 to Medicaid, Medicare, and commercial insurance, and Hernandez falsely represented himself as a licensed physician. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Brenda Rosado-Aponte of the Puerto Rico Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

Rhode Island

Erin Burton, 61, of North Providence, Rhode Island, was charged by information with making false claims to Medicaid and obtaining money under false pretenses in connection with a $225,000 Medicaid fraud. According to the information, Burton, a Medicaid-enrolled provider, submitted claims for services purportedly provided to 39 beneficiaries that, in fact, were not rendered. The alleged fraudulent claims included services billed for a beneficiary who was deceased at the time of service, a beneficiary in a comatose state, and claims for services purportedly provided when Burton was incarcerated and therefore unable to provide services. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant Attorney General Kate Constance Brody of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Rhode Island Office of Attorney General.
Jessica Dos Santos, 26, of East Providence, Rhode Island, was charged by information with making false claims to Medicaid and obtaining money under false pretenses in connection with a $99,000 Medicaid fraud. As alleged in the information, from June 2024 to May 2025, Dos Santos, a community health worker, submitted claims to Medicaid for services purportedly rendered to 15 beneficiaries, eight of whom were family members, when in fact the services were not provided. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant Attorney General Kate Constance Brody of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Rhode Island Office of Attorney General.
Chijioke Nnanna Egbujo, 53, of Farmington, Connecticut, was charged by information with medical assistance fraud and making false claims to Medicaid in connection with his role as a contracted psychiatrist at a state-funded hospital. As alleged in the information, Egbujo did not perform services during the scheduled timeframes, was not present at the assigned worksite, was simultaneously working for two separate providers, and submitted fraudulent time logs for services purportedly rendered, resulting in approximately $220,517 in fraudulent payments. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant Attorney General Steven De Luca of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Rhode Island Office of Attorney General.

South Carolina

Marti Erin Caldwell, 46, of Seneca, South Carolina, was charged by arrest warrant with exploitation of a vulnerable adult and forgery in connection with exploiting a Medicaid beneficiary residing in a community residential care facility out of over $10,000. As alleged in the arrest warrants, Caldwell forged and filed a fraudulent quit claim deed for the purpose of taking the Medicaid beneficiary’s real property. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Ken Moore of the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Jada Yvette Gibbs, 25, of Sumter, South Carolina, was charged by indictment with unlawful conduct toward a child in connection with abuse of a juvenile Medicaid beneficiary. As alleged in the indictment, Gibbs, an ABA Registered Behavioral Technician at Wedgefield University for Kids and a Medicaid provider, forcibly grabbed, squeezed, and struck a 7-year-old child with special needs on two separate occasions while providing services to the child. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Ken Moore of the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Amanda Lajoy Makins, 45, of Piedmont, South Carolina, was charged by arrest warrant with exploitation of a vulnerable adult and breach of trust with fraudulent intent in connection with her theft of approximately $16,555.36 of the personal funds of a Medicaid beneficiary residing at Southpointe Healthcare and Rehabilitation. As alleged in the arrest warrants, Makins abused her role as power of attorney for the Medicaid beneficiary and accessed and utilized the Medicaid beneficiary's funds for her own personal use and benefit, including making transfers to Makins’s own accounts via Cash App and making payments towards a vehicle titled in Makins’s name. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Deputy Attorney General Stephanie G. Opet of the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Dr. Stanley Winger McCloy, Jr, 58, of Lexington, South Carolina, was charged by arrest warrant with abuse of a vulnerable adult and assault and battery in connection with assaulting a resident of Harbison Shores, an assisted living and memory care facility. As alleged in the arrest warrant, Dr. McCloy was a Medicaid provider working as a doctor at Harbison Shores when he intentionally knocked to the ground a residential dementia patient, injuring the patient. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Vanessa Horsley of the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Belinda Jane Skinner, 49, of Walterboro, South Carolina, was charged by arrest warrant with false statement by medical provider to the Department of Health and Human Services and obtaining signature or property, under false pretenses in connection with a $14,572.50 Medicaid fraud. As alleged in the arrest warrants, Skinner, a former licensed nursing assistant and personal care attendant employed by Akulisny, LLC, submitted false time sheets indicating she rendered services to a Medicaid beneficiary from November 2024 to August 2025 when, in fact, she had not. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Vanessa Horsley of the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Michael Edward Skinner, 63, of Walterboro, South Carolina, was charged by arrest warrant with failure to report abuse, neglect of a vulnerable adult in connection with the abuse of a disabled Medicaid beneficiary living in his home. As alleged in the arrest warrant, Skinner lived with the Medicaid beneficiary and the beneficiary’s paid personal care attendant, but failed to report that the beneficiary was being abused by her caregiver. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Vanessa Horsley of the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Leslie Ann Williams, 61, of Ridgeway, South Carolina was charged by indictment with exploitation of a vulnerable adult, financial transaction card fraud, and federally chartered or insured financial institution crime in connection with her financial exploitation of a Medicaid beneficiary. As alleged in the indictment, Williams was a facility caregiver and Medicaid provider at Pruit Health Ridgeway, a skilled nursing facility. Williams obtained access to the debit card belonging to a Pruit Health Ridgeway resident and Medicaid beneficiary, which Williams then utilized to make purchases for her own benefit without the beneficiary’s consent or permission. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Deputy Attorney General Stephanie G. Opet of the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

Tennessee

Demecia Shayton Hughlett, 35, of Memphis, Tennessee, was charged by indictment with theft and Medicaid fraud in connection with fraudulent in-home caregiver billing in the amount of $155,436.74. As alleged in the indictment, Hughlett submitted falsified time records and billed for hours she did not actually work as a caregiver for TennCare members. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Steve Crossnoe of the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office.
Cynthia Lythal Carruthers, 47, of Memphis, Tennessee, was charged by indictment with theft and Medicaid fraud in connection with fraudulent in‑home caregiver billing in the amount of $136,699. As alleged in the indictment, Carruthers submitted falsified time records and billed for hours she did not actually work as a caregiver for multiple TennCare members. The case is being prosecuted by Stephen Crossnoe of the Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office.

Utah

Johnny Antanio Hankston, 44, of Nevada, Jalon Hankston, 24, of Nevada, and Johnny Leonel Tellez, 41, of Arizona, were charged by information with violations of the Utah False Claims Act totaling over $951,000. As alleged in the informations, the defendants opened an outpatient substance abuse treatment center known as Second Chance Family Services and targeted adults who had substance abuse addictions, were chronically unhoused, or were on parole. Clients at Second Chance received little to no services and those that were received were provided by individuals who were not qualified to provide Medicaid services. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorneys General Anthony Combe and Kaye Lynn Wootton of the Utah Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

Vermont

Brian Prouty, 38, of Hinsdale, New Hampshire, and Darci Sanderson, 38, of Brattleboro, Vermont, were charged by criminal informations with Medicaid fraud in the amount of $24,376. As alleged in the informations, Prouty and Sanderson submitted false and inaccurate timesheets claiming to have provided 1,543 hours of care to a Medicaid beneficiary that was not, in fact, provided. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Maureen McOwen of the Vermont Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud and Residential Abuse Unit.
Yvonne Wescom, 35, of Newport, Vermont, was charged by criminal information with Medicaid fraud. As alleged in the information, Wescom submitted false and inaccurate timesheets claiming to have provided services on three different dates that were not, in fact, provided. Wescom defrauded Vermont Medicaid out of approximately $15,000 in connection with these false claims. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Douglas Keehn of the Vermont Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud and Residential Abuse Unit.

Virgin Islands

RTS Services Unlimited II, LLC, and its owners Melinda Denise Richards, Ashley Doway, and Duane Robinson were charged by complaint with violations of the Virgin Islands False Claims Act and the Virgin Islands Medicaid Program Integrity Act, fraud, and unjust enrichment in connection with a $3.9 million scheme to defraud Medicaid. According to the complaint, from July 2018 through April 2026, the defendants submitted false and fraudulent claims for behavioral health services to the Virgin Islands Medicaid Program. The defendants billed for services outside the scope of their authorized licensure and Medicaid enrollment, used unlicensed individuals to provide services, falsely represented that services were rendered by qualified professionals, and concealed the identity and qualifications of actual service providers. The Virgin Islands Medicaid Program paid more than $408,000 to the defendants on these false and fraudulent claims. The case is being prosecuted by Civil Division Chief Ariel M. Smith and Assistant Attorney General Julita K. de Leon of the Virgin Islands Attorney General’s Office.

Washington

Comfort Dental Vancouver, located in Vancouver, Washington, and its owner, Dr. Eric Wood, reached a civil settlement to pay $230,000 to resolve allegations regarding upcoding practices that resulted in $152,974.53 in loss to Medicaid. As alleged, the practice billed Washington Medicaid for parenteral medicaments, which are drugs administered by means other than the digestive tract, when the services actually involved over-the-counter doses of ibuprofen. The settlement was handled by Assistant Attorney General Naomi Smith of the Washington Attorney General’s Office, Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Division.
Dentist at Felida, located in Vancouver, Washington, and its owner, Dr. Christian Okafor, reached a civil settlement to pay $360,300 to resolve allegations regarding upcoding practices that resulted in $211,936.95 in loss to Medicaid. As alleged, at least 95% of Dentist at Felida’s billings for palliative treatment (emergency pain) and alveoloplasty (preparing jaw bone for dentures) were billed without proper documentation, medical necessity, or were otherwise not in compliance with Washington Health Care Authority billing guidance and the Core Provider Agreement. The settlement was handled by Assistant Attorney General Naomi Smith of the Washington Attorney General’s Office, Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Division.
Devina Hernandez, 28, of Yakima, Washington, was charged by information with theft and false statements in connection with fraudulently claiming home health care hours when none were provided, resulting in a loss to Medicaid of $18,966.16. As alleged in the certificate for probable cause, Hernandez, a home health care provider, claimed home health hours while the client was in the hospital and she was not providing care. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Nick Carter of the Washington Attorney General’s Office, Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Division.
Jacquelin Montano, 42, of Moses Lake, Washington, was charged by information with theft and false statements in connection with billing for personal care service hours that she did not work, resulting in a loss to Medicaid of $23,615.39. As alleged in the information, Montano, worked as an individual provider for Washington State’s Consumer Directed Employer program for two different clients, providing in-home care services to support seniors and people with disabilities. As alleged, Montano billed for care hours that she did not work, including submitting hours past her termination date, billing for hours when she was not working for or at the client’s home, and adding additional hours after her shift had ended. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Rachel Sterett of the Washington Attorney General’s Office, Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Division.
Lina Parada, 21, of Burien, Washington, was charged by information with theft and false statements in connection with fraudulently claiming home health care hours when none were provided, resulting in a loss to Medicaid of $27,446.47. As alleged in the certificate for probable cause, Parada, a home health care provider, was approved to work as a home health care provider for a patient. In reality, she never provided any care, but filed claim hours as if she had. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Nick Carter of the Washington Attorney General’s Office, Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Division.
Toothdocs, formerly known as Comfort Dental Camas, located in Camas, Washington, and its owners, Dr. Brady Smith and Dr. Erica Lenz, reached a civil settlement to pay $500,000 to resolve allegations regarding upcoding practices that resulted in $371,255.57 in loss to Medicaid. As alleged in the settlement agreement, the practice billed Washington Medicaid for parenteral medicaments, which are drugs administered by means other than the digestive tract, when the services actually involved over-the-counter doses of ibuprofen. The settlement was handled by Assistant Attorney General Naomi Smith of the Washington Attorney General’s Office, Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Division.
Nicole Presnell, 48, of Spokane, Washington, Jason Ross, 51, of Spokane, Washington, Amanda Vermeulen, 43, of Spokane, Washington, and Tracey L. Walker, 56, of Spokane, Washington, were charged by informations with conspiracy to commit theft, theft, Medicaid false statement, and solicitation to commit Medicaid false statement in connection Medicaid fraud in the amount of $141,584.54. As alleged in the informations, from July 2023 to October 2025, Walker conspired with in-home care providers Presnell, Ross, and Vermeulen to bill for hours they did not work. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Rachel Sterett of the Washington State Attorney General’s Office.

West Virginia

Cassandra Leigh Collins, 62, of Montgomery, West Virginia, was charged by complaint with Medicaid fraud and fraudulent schemes in connection with Medicaid fraud in the amount of $22,507.81. As alleged in the complaint, from January 2022 to November 2023, Collins submitted false and fraudulent documentation to Medicaid claiming to have provided personal care services to a Medicaid recipient when, in fact, the services had not been rendered. Instead, Collins was actually working as a maintenance worker. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Mandy Pellegrin of the West Virginia Attorney General Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Staci L. Gibson, 50, of Hurricane, West Virginia was charged by complaint with abuse or neglect of an incapacitated adult. As alleged in the complaint, Gibson, a licensed practical nurse, failed to administer prescribed medications to a skilled nursing facility resident under her care, and for two days Gibson did not inform anyone that the pharmacy did not have the medication. Gibson’s failure to administer the medications, and her failure to promptly inform the physician that the medications were unavailable resulted in the resident’s condition deteriorating to the point that the resident was suffering septic shock, acute kidney injury, and respiratory failure. The resident was sent to the hospital and ultimately died. The case is being prosecuted by Prosecuting Attorney Eric Cantrell of the Kanawha County Prosecutors Office.

Wisconsin

Zambia Bell, 48, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was charged by complaint with theft by fraud and medical assistance fraud in connection with Medicaid fraud in the amount of $311,112. As alleged in the complaint, Bell fraudulently billed Medicaid for personal and home care services from January 2015 to April 2023 that were not rendered. Specifically, many claims Bell submitted exceeded 24-hour workdays. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Timothy J. Filipa of the Wisconsin Medicaid Fraud Control and Elder Abuse Unit.
Carolyn Franco, 46, of Baldwin, Wisconsin, was charged by complaint with theft by fraud and medical assistance fraud in connection with Medicaid fraud in the amount of $16,285.48. As alleged in the complaint, Franco fraudulently billed Medicaid for personal and home care services from March 2023 to April 2024 that she could not have provided because she was out of state. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Timothy J. Filipa of the Wisconsin Medicaid Fraud Control and Elder Abuse Unit.

Updated June 24, 2026

MENU 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown

Case Summaries

2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown

2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown