Former Healthcare Executive Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Healthcare Fraud
- posted: Sep. 05, 2023
- Whistleblower Litigation, Fraud
A former healthcare executive pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud in U.S. District Court last month. Alfonzo Bailey was sentenced to 36 months in prison, three years of supervised release, $3,465,643.33 in restitution and $100 in a special assessment for his role in defrauding the Ohio Department of Medicaid.
Case background
Bailey, 40, of Euclid, Ohio, founded Eye for Change Youth and Family Services in 2016. The organization provided services like job training, supportive housing, mental health counseling and case management to clients.
In 2017, Bailey and his co-defendants conspired to defraud the Ohio Department of Medicaid by getting payments for false claims. Bailey told his staff to create “false progress notes” for counseling, which was not actually performed for clients. Bailey’s organization then billed the Ohio Department of Medicaid for the false claims.
The FBI, the Department of Health and Human Services - Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Cleveland and the Ohio Attorney General’s Healthcare Fraud Section executed search warrants at Eye for Change in 2020. This led to indictments for 21 defendants, including Bailey.
Blow the whistle on healthcare fraud
The United States government takes healthcare fraud very seriously. Individuals with information about entities committing healthcare fraud are encouraged to report the misconduct or file an individual complaint under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. This allows individual, private citizens to file their own claim against wrongdoers. Federal agencies like the Justice Department may intervene in the suit. If successful, eligible whistleblowers may share in a portion of funds recovered. Other protections, such as anti-retaliation or confidentiality provisions, may also be available.
To learn more about your legal options to expose healthcare fraud, reach out to a skilled whistleblower attorney at Kardell Law Group today.
