The Department of Justice (DOJ) charged three Tennesseans as part of the department’s largest ever crackdown on health care fraud.
Kossie Lamon Simmons, Katina Marzie Simmons, and Tritia Margalizita Townsend have been charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud and health care fraud.
These individuals faced these charges as they allegedly participated in a scheme to defraud the Federal Employees’ Compensation Fund (FECF), which is a workers’ compensation program for federal employees.
Kossie Lamon Simmons, Katina Marzie Simmons, and Townsend allegedly billed the FECF for medications for injured United States Postal Service claimants that were not valid. The medications that were billed were not in stock at SarJo Pharmacy.
As a result, SarJo Pharmacy allegedly fraudulently billed $28.7 million and received $16.3 million in payment.
Kossie Lamon Simmons allegedly submitted claims for prescription medications purportedly dispensed. Additionally, Katina Marzie Simmons allegedly owned 70 percent of the entities involved in this process. She also managed them.
As for Townsend, she was the pharmacist in charge of SarJo Pharmacy.
Besides these Tennesseans, the DOJ charged 321 people for their alleged role in health care fraud and illegal drug diversion schemes.
According to the DOJ, people charged in these indictments allegedly charged almost $15 billion in false billings and asked for more than 15 million illegal pills.
The DOJ says it seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, and other assets. Additionally, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced that it prevented more than $4 billion from being paid in fraudulent claims.
“This record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.”
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Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of The Star News Network. Email tips to Zachery at [email protected].
Photo “The United States Department of Justice Announces Health Care Fraud Charges” by The United States Department of Justice.
No wonder government healthcare is too expensive. No one at the federal level is paying attention.