A federal jury has convicted a Louisiana nurse practitioner for her central position in a brazen healthcare fraud scheme that bilked Medicare out of greater than $2 million in taxpayer funds.
Shanone Chatman-Ashley, 45, of Opelousas, was discovered responsible Thursday on 5 counts of well being care fraud after prosecutors introduced proof that she orchestrated a wide-ranging rip-off involving fraudulent telehealth providers and medically pointless sturdy medical gear (DME).
In keeping with the DOJ’s press release, Chatman-Ashley was an enrolled Medicare supplier and labored as an unbiased contractor for telehealth firms between 2017 and 2019.
Prosecutors mentioned she ordered greater than 1,000 items of DME — together with knee braces and suspension sleeves — for aged and disabled sufferers she by no means examined. In lots of circumstances, these people had by no means even spoken to her.
Chatman-Ashley allegedly falsified information to make it seem she had carried out private assessments, certifying that the gear was medically obligatory.
Her bogus certifications triggered over $2 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare, leading to greater than $1 million in improper reimbursements. In return, she obtained unlawful kickbacks and bribes from the telehealth firms that benefited from the scheme.
Chatman-Ashley now faces a most sentence of 10 years in federal jail for every of the 5 counts. Sentencing is scheduled for July 31, and might be decided by a federal decide contemplating federal sentencing tips and statutory components.
This conviction is a part of the Justice Division’s Well being Care Fraud Strike Power Program, which has introduced prices towards over 5,800 defendants since 2007, collectively accountable for greater than $30 billion in fraudulent billing.
U.S. Legal professional Alexander C. Van Hook for the Western District of Louisiana condemned Chatman-Ashley’s actions as a betrayal of the medical occupation: “She took benefit of beneficiaries who have been aged and handicapped to order gadgets for them that weren’t medically obligatory. This workplace is dedicated to persevering with to work with our federal companions to cease any such fraud within the Western District of Louisiana.”
“At this time, a Louisiana jury convicted Shanone Chatman-Ashley of well being care fraud for openly dishonest Medicare out of its restricted assets,” mentioned Matthew R. Galeotti, the Head of the Justice Division’s Prison Division.
“Dishonest medical practitioners put important pressure on our well being care system and cut back the standard of affected person care. The Division of Justice is not going to tolerate medical professionals who fraudulently enrich themselves on the expense of American taxpayers. I thank the prosecutors and our legislation enforcement companions who labored tirelessly on this case within the pursuit of justice.”
“Unlawful kickback funds undermine and corrupt the medical decision-making course of,” mentioned Particular Agent in Cost Jason E. Meadows of the U.S. Division of Well being and Human Providers Workplace of Inspector Normal (HHS-OIG).
“Each the payer and recipient of kickbacks profit from these schemes, however it’s in the end the taxpayers who foot the invoice. HHS-OIG will proceed collaborating with legislation enforcement and prosecutors to guard the Medicare belief fund that thousands and thousands of People rely upon.”
