A federal grand jury in the Western District of Arkansas returned an indictment yesterday charging an Arkansas gentleman who owned or managed several diagnostic testing laboratories with health and fitness care fraud in connection with around $100 million dollars in wrong billings for urine drug testing, COVID-19 tests, and other medical laboratory products and services.
According to court documents, Billy Joe Taylor, 42, of Lavaca, engaged in a plan involving February 2017 and May perhaps 2021 in relationship with diagnostic laboratory screening, which includes urine drug tests and checks for respiratory illnesses for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, that were medically avoidable, not purchased by medical companies, and/or not provided as represented. According to the indictment, Taylor controlled and directed several diagnostic laboratories, and applied individuals labs to post much more than $100 million in phony and fraudulent statements to Medicare. The indictment alleges that Taylor acquired healthcare information and facts and personal personalized facts for Medicare beneficiaries, and then misused that confidential information and facts to continuously submit claims to Medicare for diagnostic tests that ended up not purchased by professional medical companies and were being not truly executed by the laboratories. Taylor allegedly then utilised the proceeds of the fraud to dwell a lavish way of life, such as acquiring several luxury automobiles, which include a Rolls Royce Wraith, as very well as genuine estate, jewellery, guitars, and other luxurious apparel and things.
Taylor is charged with 16 counts of wellbeing care fraud, and 1 rely of engaging in a financial transaction in criminally-derived property. Taylor was formerly billed by prison criticism in Could 2021. The defendant is scheduled for his arraignment on Nov. 23 prior to U.S. Justice of the peace Decide Mark E. Ford of the U.S. District Court docket for the Western District of Arkansas. Each individual of the counts is punishable by a utmost penalty of 10 yrs in jail. A federal district courtroom judge will decide any sentence following looking at the U.S. Sentencing Pointers and other statutory aspects.
Assistant Lawyer Standard Kenneth A. Well mannered Jr. of the Justice Department’s Felony Division Performing U.S. Lawyer David Clay Fowlkes for the Western District of Arkansas Unique Agent in Demand James A. Dawson, of the FBI’s Small Rock division Exclusive Agent in Charge Miranda Bennett of the Division of Wellbeing and Human Providers-Place of work of Inspector Common (HHS-OIG), Dallas Regional Business and Specific Agent in Cost Christopher Altemus of the IRS-Criminal Investigation, Dallas Field Office environment, manufactured the announcement.
The FBI, HHS-OIG, and IRS-Criminal Investigation are investigating the situation.
Senior Litigation Counsel Jim Hayes and Trial Lawyer D. Keith Clouser of the Legal Division’s Fraud Section’s Nationwide Quick Response Strike Force and Assistant U.S. Legal professional Kenneth Elser of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Arkansas are prosecuting the circumstance.
An indictment is just an allegation, and all defendants are presumed harmless until eventually confirmed responsible outside of a realistic question in a court of regulation.