Mount Dora Woman Charged With TRICARE Fraud

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return of an indictment charging Bobbi Gibson (45, Mount Dora) with 30 counts of wire fraud.  If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count.  The indictment also notifies Gibson that the United States is seeking a money judgment in the amount of at least $1.5 million, the proceeds of the wire fraud scheme.

According to the indictment, Gibson, who owned and operated Agency for Behavioral Services, Inc., defrauded the Department of Defense’s TRICARE program by fraudulently certifying that paraprofessional providers she employed had received the required 40 hours of classroom training in Applied Behavior Analysis techniques. Gibson then assigned these unqualified individuals to provide one-on-one autism services to military family members diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders, and caused TRICARE to be billed for these services.

“This indictment is yet another example of the continuing commitment of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and its law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of the Department of Defense (DoD) health care program,” said Special Agent in Charge John F. Khin, Southeast Field Office. "As one of our top priorities, DCIS aggressively investigates health care fraud that harms the DoD, to ensure the best use of precious taxpayer dollars needed to provide critical care for our Warfighters, their family members, and military retirees."

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service.  It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bob Mosakowski.