Man found guilty of Medicaid fraud in multi-state scheme

Sometimes, fraud takes place across multiple states. When it does, and when it involves government agencies or benefits, it constitutes government fraud.

Take for example this case out of Georgia in which a man has been sentenced in a health-care fraud scheme. The fraudulent acts allegedly resulted in millions being taken from Medicaid in Florida, Louisiana and Georgia.

The man was accused and found guilty of stealing over $2 million from the Medicaid program and continuing to defraud the government when he was out on bond.

It’s believed that the man and his alleged co-conspirators worked with or owned companies that claimed that they offered mental health services to adults and children. The companies billed Medicaid for around $3.5 million. They reportedly used the Medicaid provider numbers of other providers in Georgia and Florida to scam the system by submitting fraudulent claims for services that they never provided.

They were accused of (and tried for) stealing Medicaid members numbers from football and summer camp registrations, from foster care children and from a government document that contained approximately 13,000 numbers belonging to people on the Louisiana Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.

The man has been sentenced to 11 years in prison and will need to pay back $2,543,629.98 in restitution. Others involved in the case have also been charged and sentenced.

This kind of situation can lead to significant penalties, time in prison and heavy fines. If you are accused of violating federal law, it’s important to know your legal rights and responsibilities moving forward. A good defense could make a difference in the outcome of your case.