Stephanie B. Williams and Mary H. Griffin, who worked as patient recruiters for a number of durable medical equipment (DME) companies in the Baton Rouge area, have admitted taking part in a Medicaid fraud scheme, according to the Department of Justice. The two women were involved in filing false claims to Medicaid and paying illegal kickbacks to healthcare providers to order unnecessary DMEs.
Ms. Williams was sentenced to 48 months in prison, and Ms. Griffin was sentenced to 21 months. They will each be subject to two years of supervised release after they serve their prison terms. In addition, Ms. Williams must pay restitution of $4 million, and Ms. Griffin must pay $3.6 million in restitution.
Between 2004 and 2009, while working as recruiters for Medical 1 Patient Services LLC, Healthcare 1 LLC and Lifeline Healthcare Services Inc., Ms. Williams and Ms. Griffin facilitated the filing of false claims against the Louisiana Medicare program by getting prescriptions for DMEs, such as leg or arm braces, wheel chairs and various accessories. The prescriptions were used to support false claims against the Medicare program.
Ms. Griffin was part of a similar scheme while working for McKenzie Healthcare Solutions Inc. between 2005 and 2010. At McKenzie, Mrs. Griffin was paid kickbacks and assisted in the submission of false claims for DMEs that were medically unnecessary.
Between 2004 and 2010, it is alleged that the companies behind these schemes filed over $30 million in false claims against the Medicare program.
Waters & Kraus is a national firm with highly skilled lawyers practicing qui tam litigation in four offices, including Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Baltimore. Our attorneys have decades of experience successfully representing whistleblowers in a variety of fraud cases. Contact us or call one of our attorneys at 800.226.9880 to learn more about our practice and how we can assist.
