Henry Evans, Healthcare Fraud, Louisiana 2022

Fourteen individuals, including doctors and nurses, have been indicted in a massive Medicare healthcare fraud scheme that bilked the government out of an estimated $30,252,906.

U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced the return of a 31-count Superseding Indictment against Henry Evans, 71; Michael Jones, 46; Paula Jones, 45; Shelton Barnes, 62; Gregory Molden, 60; Suprenia Washington, 59; Erica Edwards, 31; Zellisha DeJean, 37; Larry Taylor, 69; Caren Battaglia, 49; Sheila Hopkins, 62; Verinese Sutton, 63; Jonathan Nora, 28; and Jeffrey Koon, 43.

The defendants, mostly from New Orleans, are accused of participating in a conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, defraud the United States, and receive and pay healthcare kickbacks. Barnes is also charged with obstruction of a federal audit.

The Superseding Indictment is the second to involve many of the same parties who were originally indicted in March 2015. Ten individuals and/or companies have already pleaded guilty to charges associated with the original Indictment and a related Bill of Information involving Rhonda Maberry.

The scheme, which was related to the Indictment returned in March 2015 charging Lisa Crinel and others, involved the defendants participating in a criminal organization for the purpose of fraudulently billing Medicare for medically unnecessary home health services for patients who were not homebound.

According to the Superseding Indictment, the defendants, who were known as the ‘House Doctors,’ ordered home health services for Medicare beneficiaries who had no legitimate medical necessity. They falsely signed home health orders regardless of the beneficiary’s needs, homebound status, or diagnoses.

The House Doctors, including Barnes, Evans, and Molden, received monthly payments fraudulently characterized as medical consultant or director fees for which they provided no services other than fraudulently certifying Medicare beneficiaries for unnecessary home health services.

The defendants’ scheme was uncovered by Medicare officials, who are working to recover the stolen funds and bring the perpetrators to justice.

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