Category Archives: Augusta

DOJ indicts church leaders in alleged multi-million-dollar fraud targeting military vets

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More on House of Prayer church leaders alleged $22M fraud scheme targeting military vets.  See previous post Stolen name, stolen benefits: New details on alleged cult, FBI raid on mansion

The churches operated near Georgia’s Fort Gordon and Fort Stewart, and Fort Hood in Texas

House of Prayer targeting militaryFederal prosecutors have indicted the founder and several leaders of the House of Prayer Christian Churches of America, accusing the Georgia-based ministry of running a decades-long, $22 million fraud scheme that targeted U.S. military members and veterans.

Following the indictment, the FBI on Wednesday conducted a raid near Augusta, Georgia, arresting leaders after years of allegations that the church operated like a cult and preyed on military communities nationwide.

FBI Atlanta public affairs specialist Jenna Sellitto confirmed to Fox News Digital it carried out a raid at a home in Columbia County, Georgia, and made authorized arrests related to the church investigation.  Read More via Fox News

Stolen name, stolen benefits: New details on alleged cult, FBI raid on mansion

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Stolen name, stolen benefits MARTINEZ, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The FBI and Columbia County deputies raided a West Lake mansion Wednesday, arresting the leader of the House of Prayer — a group critics call a cult that scams veterans out of benefits. Columbia County deputies assisted with the raid at 3816 Honors Way, but it’s a Federal Bureau of Investigation case involving allegations of financial or identity theft and fraud. The founder of the House of Prayer was taken into custody and booked into jail, but we’re not even sure who the mysterious man really is. He goes by Rony Denis, … Read More

Medical business owner sentenced to more than 10 years in federal prison for Medicare fraud

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Pate was convicted in December 2018 of 33 counts of fraud, identity theft AUGUSTA, GA:  The owner of a Thomson, Ga., medical equipment company was sentenced to more than 10 years in federal prison Tuesday, July 30, for a wide-ranging Medicare fraud scheme. Detra Wiley Pate, owner and CEO of Southern Respiratory LLC, of Thomson, Ga., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randall Hall to 121 months in federal prison for multiple counts of health care fraud, conspiracy to commit health care fraud and aggravated identity theft, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District … Read More

Augusta University Medical Center agrees to pay $2.625 million to settle False Claims Act investigation

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Augusta Provider Violated False Claims Act Hospital cooperated in settling federal, state government complaints AUGUSTA, GA: Augusta University Medical Center, Inc. (AUMC) has agreed to a settlement with the United States, the State of Georgia, and the State of South Carolina to resolve allegations that AUMC submitted false claims to several government-funded healthcare programs. The government contended that AUMC violated the False Claims Act by knowingly submitting claims to federal healthcare programs for a procedure that was not covered by Medicare and Medicaid. The investigation involved these medically unreasonable and unnecessary “procedures,” which was referred to as a “Belsey Collis” … Read More

Augusta Optometrist Pleads Guilty To Health Care Fraud Charge

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AUGUSTA, GA:  Jeffrey Sponseller, O.D. of Augusta, Sponseller Eye Care One, P.C., and S&H Eye Care, LLC, currently doing business as “Eye Care One,” have agreed to pay the United States a total of $275,000.00 to settle allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting or causing the submission of false claims to federal and state healthcare programs for services that were either inadequately performed or not performed at all. The civil settlement resolves allegations that were originally part of a joint criminal and civil investigation of Sponseller’s submission of bogus claims to Medicare, Medicaid, and the Railroad … Read More

VA Employee Charged with Falsifying Medical Records of Numerous Veterans

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AUGUSTA, GA: A 50-count indictment, unsealed today in federal court, has charged Cathedral Henderson, 50, a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employee and the former Chief of Fee Basis over non-VA Care at the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center in Augusta, Georgia, with crimes related to his alleged falsification of the medical records of numerous VA patients. The indictment alleges that Henderson terminated unresolved consults – medical appointments that had not been scheduled or completed – by falsely stating in VA patients’ medical records that “services have been completed or patient refused services.” United States Attorney Edward Tarver stated, … Read More

3 Georgia Residents Sentenced for Health Care Fraud

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AUGUSTA, GA: A Martinez man has been sentenced to federal prison and ordered to pay nearly $1.5 million in restitution for defrauding government healthcare and disability programs. Jonathan Duane Austin, 32, of Martinez, Ga., was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $1,473,377.51 in restitution by U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. At the completion of Austin’s sentence, he will be subject to an additional term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. According to court documents in the … Read More

Health care fraud indictment charges man and his company

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Southern District of Georgia continues to lead nationwide effort against fraudulent ‘telehealth’ scams AUGUSTA, GA: A man and his “marketing company” have been named in a five-count federal indictment for a scheme that paid workers to solicit elderly residents for information used to fraudulently bill government medical programs. Patrick Siado, of Texas, and his company, Optimus Prime Marketing, LLC, are charged with one count of Conspiracy and four counts of Health Care Fraud, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The Conspiracy charge carries a penalty of up to five years in prison, while each … Read More

Georgia nurse practitioner convicted of health care fraud

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A Rockdale County nurse practitioner has been convicted in a multimillion‑dollar telemedicine fraud scheme that exploited elderly Medicare beneficiaries. Prosecutors say Sherley L. Beaufils approved thousands of fake orthotic brace orders without examining patients, generating more than $3 million in fraudulent claims before being found guilty on multiple federal charges.

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