U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces 5 Individuals Charged as Part of Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown

Louisville, KY – Today, United States Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky announced criminal charges against five defendants in connection with alleged schemes to defraud Medicaid and divert controlled substances. The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. The charges stem from conspiracy to illegally use a DEA registration number issued to another, conspiracy to obtain a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception, or subterfuge, health care fraud, theft of medical products, tampering with consumer products, obtaining a controlled substance by fraud or deceit, and burglary involving controlled substances.

“Health care providers must be trusted to appropriately prescribe highly-addictive medications only to those in need. Doing otherwise only exacerbates the opioid epidemic that has ravaged our Commonwealth and destroyed families,” said U.S. Attorney Bumgarner. “As alleged in each of the charging documents, these defendants breached that trust and illegally diverted controlled substances. While these defendants are professionally obligated to help communities, the charging documents allege that they have unfortunately done the opposite. They will be held to account.”

“This record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.”

The charges announced today by U.S. Attorney Bumgarner are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants for their alleged participation in health care fraud and illegal drug diversion schemes that involved the submission of over $14.6 billion in alleged false billings and over 15 million pills of illegally diverted controlled substances. The defendants allegedly defrauded programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled to line their own pockets. The United States has seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, and other assets in connection with the takedown. 

The following individuals were charged in the Western District of Kentucky: 

Ashley Barnett, 41, of Louisville, Kentucky, Laura Webb, 37, of Springfield, Kentucky, and Rachel Goldstein, 43, of Jeffersonville, Indiana, were charged by information. According to the information, Barnett and Webb, both doctors of veterinary medicine, were charged in a conspiracy to illegally use a DEA registration number issued to another. In addition, Barnett and Goldstein were charged with conspiracy to obtain a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception, or subterfuge. As part of the conspiracy, Barnett, Goldstein, and others conspired to issue prescriptions for over 25,000 Schedule II controlled substances, such as oxycodone and hydrocodone, in the names of various canines, including some deceased and fictitious canines, when in reality, Barnett and Goldstein were the recipients of the controlled substances. Barnett was also charged with theft of medical products for taking and concealing buprenorphine from her employer prior to the controlled substances being made available for retail purchase by a consumer. Finally, Barnett and Goldstein were charged with health care fraud in connection with a scheme whereby Barnett requested Goldstein fill Goldstein’s dextroamphetamine prescription, a Schedule II controlled substance, and provide it to Barnett. Goldstein caused the submission of the claim for the dextroamphetamine prescription to Medicaid. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Ansari of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky.

Kristina Coomer, 43, of Louisville, Kentucky, was charged by information with theft of medical products. According to the information, Coomer, an employee of a retail pharmacy in the supply chain for oxycodone, took, carried away, and concealed oxycodone from the pharmacy, prior to the controlled substances being made available for retail purchase by a consumer. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Ansari of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky.       

Matthew Ryan Elkins, 40, of Crestwood, Kentucky, was charged by indictment with tampering with consumer products, obtaining a controlled substance by fraud or deceit, and burglary involving controlled substances. According to the indictment, Elkins, an advanced practice registered nurse-certified registered nurse anesthetist, tampered with one pre-filled, capped syringe containing fentanyl citrate and bupivacaine, prescribed to a patient by removing a portion of the listed ingredients and replaced it with another liquid. Elkins was also charged with obtaining and attempting to obtain three injectable vials containing a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, by misrepresentation, deception, and subterfuge. Finally, Elkins was charged with burglary involving controlled substances when he entered a business registered with the Drug Enforcement Administration with the intent to steal any material and compound containing any quantity of a controlled substance. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin McKenzie of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky.

Nationwide, cases are being prosecuted by U.S. Attorneys' Offices in the Western and Eastern Districts of Kentucky, the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, and Texas Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Arizona, Central District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California, District of Columbia, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Middle District of Georgia, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Maine, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan, Northern District of Mississippi, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nevada, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Western District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, District of North Dakota, Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, District of South Carolina, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Washington, and Northern District of West Virginia; and State Attorneys General’s Offices for California, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Wisconsin. The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team used cutting-edge data analytics to identify and support the investigations that led to these charges.

The Western District of Kentucky, in particular, worked with the following law enforcement organizations to investigate and prosecute the cases filed during the enforcement period: the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations, the Kentucky State Police, the Louisville Metro Police Department, and the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services Office of Inspector General.

Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the Department’s website: https://www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-fraud/2025-national-health-care-fraud-takedown. 

A complaint, information, or indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.   

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