Grimy Times
Matilda Lynn Prince, 42, of Mineral Bluff, Georgia, has been sentenced to three years, four months in federal prison for stealing over $1.2 million from the Medicare and Medicaid programs by submitting fraudulent claims for services that were never performed.
Prince, the owner of Pickens Eye Clinic in Jasper, Georgia, and operator of Eye Gallery 20/20 in Calhoun, Georgia, was found guilty by a jury on January 9, 2018, of twenty-nine counts of healthcare fraud.
Prince submitted false claims to Medicare and Medicaid for optometry and ophthalmology services that were never rendered to patients. She targeted senior citizens and disabled populations in housing complexes and community centers, offering on-site eye exams and prescription glasses at no charge to patients on Medicare and Medicaid.
Prince contracted with two licensed optometrists to provide basic eye exams. However, she often billed for complex ophthalmological procedures involving the surgical insertion of medical devices called ‘punctal plugs’ into patients’ tear ducts to treat dry eye conditions. She then used the identities of the two licensed optometrists to bill Medicare and Medicaid repeatedly for this procedure.
Prince was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $609,000. The case was investigated by the Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General, and the Georgia Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
U.S. Attorney Byung J. ‘BJay’ Pak said, ‘Prince diverted critical resources away from the elderly and low-income families who were most in need of care.’
‘This sentence sends a clear-cut message to crooked providers who fraudulently bill government health care programs,’ said Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services – Office of Inspector General.
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Key Facts
- State: Georgia
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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