On 10/14/2010, the Brevard County State Attorney’s office filed a third degree felony against Leauntie S. Cole for making a false statement, or fact on Medicaid claim. She was arrested by law enforcement officers with the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and later released. She is now facing 3rd felony criminal prosecution. Based upon the record, the fraud was for more than $300.00 and less than $20,000.00. Though she does not appear to have any criminal record in Brevard County
Now, let’s backup a few months to March 2010. Dr. Todd Scarbrough and his group had been accused of defrauding Medicare of millions of dollars, over a period of years. It took the Feds more a year to investigate the fraud. In March 2010, Dr. Scarbrough and his codefendant MIMA P.A., paid $12,000,000.00 plus interest to settle their civil case filed by the government. The settlement amount suggests the extent of the fraud. It appears that the good doctor Scarbrough was never arrested, was never criminally charged, and he entered into some “Integrity Agreement,” with the Dept. of Health and Human Services. A quick search confirms that he is now practicing oncology in Owensboro , Kentucky
So, here are my three questions of the day:
1. Did Ms. Cole fail to steal enough to avoid criminal prosecution?
2. Does Florida
3. Is our system dangerously corrupt?
ATTACHMENTS:
Caregiver arrested on charge of Medicaid fraud
Leauntie Shunina Cole, 26, of Cocoa
Cole was arrested by law enforcement officers with the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
The investigation revealed that Cole provided personal care assistance services for Medicaid Waiver recipients. Cole presented falsified service logs to her employer, for reimbursement for services that were never performed, according to the Attorney General.
Cole is charged with one count of Medicaid provider fraud, which carries a maximum of five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
Feds settle Medicare fraud case with MIMA
The U.S. Department of Justice said it has reached a tentative settlement with Brevard County
Following up on a whistleblower's complaint, federal agents spent more than a year investigating billing practices and medical records of Melbourne Internal Medicine Associates' cancer treatment center. The government filed its civil complaint in federal court in October and, in court records unsealed last week, lawyers asked for extra time to finalize a settlement agreement with MIMA. The terms of the settlement are not known.
"If the parties resolve this matter by settlement and the case is dismissed, the parties and the court will be saved substantial resources otherwise spent on discovery and trial," the government's lawyers said in asking for more time.
The government is seeking to recover losses from false Medicare claims submitted "as a result of the sustained fraudulent course of conduct of the defendants," MIMA and Dr. Todd Scarbrough (above), the former medical director of its cancer center. Scarbrough has since left the cancer center. Attempts to determine his whereabouts were unsuccessful. A call to his lawyer was not returned.
In its complaint, the government alleges the cancer center had "defrauded Medicare and TRICARE through various schemes designed to improperly inflate the claims that MIMA submitted on behalf of (the cancer center) to Medicare."
