Jacksonville Pharmacy Owner Indicted in $51 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme Involving Free-Cellphone Lure and False HIV Prescriptions
Charlie Bernard Griffin III, 61, of Jacksonville, Florida, who owned First Coast Community Development (FCCD), has been charged in a 31-count federal indictment with health care fraud and money laundering, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida announced. Ethelbert Chinenye Nwanegbo, 47, of St. Johns, was charged in the same indictment with money laundering. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. Each defendant faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count. The indictment was returned on October 29 and announced by prosecutors on November 12.
According to the indictment, FCCD operated a pharmacy in Jacksonville and entered into an agreement with a marketing company owned by Jonathan Gholston to refer people to FCCD for HIV post-exposure prophylactic medications. Representatives of the marketing company set up tents and tables in Jacksonville, generally in low-income areas, and offered free, government-sponsored cellphones to anyone who stopped and provided identifying information. While obtaining the information needed for the cellphone, the representatives also obtained health insurance information, including whether the person was covered by Medicare, Medicaid, or a private insurer.
The agreement provided that FCCD would pay the marketing company $200 for every person referred for HIV medications, but only if a claim submitted on that person's behalf was paid. The marketing company paid its representatives a set amount, usually $50, for every person referred, again only if a claim was paid. The indictment states that being paid per referral based on whether a claim is paid is an illegal kickback.
The information gathered was sent to FCCD and its pharmacist, Albert Chester. FCCD used it to generate prescriptions for HIV medications authorized by Rashan Jones, a nurse practitioner who had never seen, spoken with, or performed any evaluation, examination, or test on the people for whom the prescriptions were issued. To ensure the claims were paid, FCCD falsely used a diagnosis code indicating that the person had, or had been exposed to, HIV or a sexually transmitted disease, and that false diagnosis was documented in the person's medical records. FCCD filled the prescriptions and submitted claims to Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurers.
Prosecutors say the scheme caused the submission of tens of thousands of fraudulent claims, resulting in reimbursements from Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurers totaling approximately $51 million. Griffin received approximately $14 million in proceeds. The indictment notifies Griffin that the United States is seeking forfeiture of $14,245,474 in fraud proceeds and $17,807,628.14 in property involved in the money laundering offenses, along with $8,182,800.17 seized from his bank accounts and three real properties and four vehicles purchased with fraud proceeds. For Nwanegbo, the government is seeking forfeiture of $6,068,540.50; the indictment alleges he moved proceeds through accounts he controlled, retained a money laundering fee of approximately 10 percent, and returned the funds to Griffin and a co-conspirator.
Gholston, Chester, and Jones were previously charged separately, and each agreed to plead guilty. The case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and IRS Criminal Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier. An indictment is only an accusation, and both defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
(Source: U.S. Department of Justice)
Source: U.S. Department of Justice
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于华盛顿的美国司法部总部大楼（资料图）。美国之音摄，公共领域。 / Photo: U.S. Department of Justice headquarters in Washington (file photo). By Voice of America, public domain.
