Three Indicted for Health Care Fraud Conspiracy, Money Laundering, Aggravated Identity Theft, Obstruction, Wire Fraud, and Falsifying Documents

Columbia, South Carolina ---- A federal grand jury has returned a thirty-eight count superseding indictment Tuesday charging Cameron Banks (a/k/a Reggie Staggers), age 32, of Georgetwon, S.C., Angela Pyatt, age 49, of Conway, S.C., and Solomon Pyatt, age 56, of Conway, S.C. with Conspiracy to Commit Health Care Fraud, individual counts of Health Care Fraud, Money Laundering, Aggravated Identity Theft, Obstruction of a Health Care Crime Investigation, Wire Fraud, and Falsifying Documents.  The indictment marks the second superseding indictment in the case. 

Banks was originally the sole defendant in the first two indictments.  The first superseding indictment added allegations of Money Laundering and Falsifying Documents to the original indictment, which included seven counts of Health Care Fraud, in connection with an alleged scheme to submit fraudulent loan applications for dental services. 

The second superseding indictment adds defendants Angela and Solomon Pyatt,  alleging that Banks used his position as an employee of a dentistry practice to conspire with them, and others, to submit loan applications in the names of patients to a medical financing program operated by a federally insured bank.  The indictment alleges, however, that in a number of instances, no services were requested or provided to the patient or Banks fraudulently inflated the cost, causing the transfer of funds that Banks converted to his own personal use.

Including the Health Care Fraud Conspiracy, the second superseding indictment adds sixteen counts of Money Laundering, which allege that Banks conducted a number of financial transactions in an effort to conceal the source of the proceeds of the Health Care Fraud scheme and convert them to his own use.  These transactions included cash withdrawals and transfers in amounts ranging from $2,975 to $51,000.  Additionally, the indictment contains allegations of Aggravated Identity Theft and Obstruction of a Health Care Crime Investigation.

Unrelated to the Health Care Fraud Conspiracy, the second superseding indictment also includes two counts of Wire Fraud, both of which relate to fraudulent loan applications Banks used to purchase a 2014 Bentley Flying Spur and a 2015 Cadillac Escalade.

Last, the second superseding indictment includes four charges alleging Banks falsified documents he filed with the United States Department of Transportation in order to register as a commercial motor carrier and bus operator.  Specifically, Banks filed Motor Passenger Carrier Authority applications as the representative of several separate, individual entities including the Abundant Faith Lighthouse, Delta Trailways, New Generation Christian Church, and CJ Banks Transportation.  Banks is alleged to have knowingly falsified the filings for each entity by purposely withholding his involvement with the other entities as required by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.  

The maximum penalty each of the three defendants could receive for Conspiracy to Commit Health Care Fraud is 10 years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000. 

The maximum penalty Banks could receive for each count of health care fraud is 20 years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000.  The maximum penalty he could receive for the money laundering counts is 20 years and a fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction, whichever is greater.  The maximum penalty he could receive for the Aggravated Identity Theft counts is a mandatory sentence of two years, which would run consecutively to any sentence imposed for any convictions of Health Care Fraud, the underlying felony.  The maximum penalty Banks could receive for the falsification of documents counts is 20 years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000.

The case was investigated by agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, and the United States Department of Transportation - Office of Inspector General.  The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Matt Austin of the Charleston office for prosecution.

All charges in indictments are merely accusations and that all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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