LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — An eight year Medicaid fraud investigation has finally come to a close, convicting 11 individuals and ordering around $5.5 million in restitution to Medicaid.
Nevada Attorney General Aaron D. Ford made an announcement on July 20 regarding “an investigation and prosecution into two mental health Medicaid provider businesses,” who were found to have submitted Medicaid claims for services they did not perform.
We recently told you about new healthcare policies in Las Vegas that help prevent medical fraud and encourage transparency.
LEARN | What these new healthcare policies in Las Vegas could mean for you
The businesses listed were Top Notch Behavioral Health and Shepherds Heart Services, which “were linked to a wider group of individuals and providers who were involved in a similar scheme of billing Medicaid fraudulently,” according to the office of the Attorney General.
“I am proud of the work of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit in working with other agencies to investigate this case and obtain convictions against these individuals to hold them accountable. My office will continue to hold people and companies that defraud the Medicaid system accountable and ensure Medicaid funds are available for those people that are in need of services.” — Attorney General Ford
The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, with assistance from the IRS Criminal Task Force, conducted the initial investigation. The Attorney General’s office shared that many of the people and businesses named were connected by a church, run by Greg and Carol Kirby.
Their investigation revealed that false claims were made by providers, including hiding past criminal histories when enrolling as Medicaid providers, “linking mental health practitioners to their companies when said practitioners never actually worked for the companies and billing Medicaid as if practitioners were providing more than twenty-four hours of service a day,” said the Attorney General’s office.
Most recently, Marcus Millner was convicted on June 11 of Conspiracy to Commit Health Care Fraud. He was sentence to two years of probation and ordered to pay $1,027,575.09 in restitution.
The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Nevada, prosecuted the case due to possible IRS fraud allegations.
