Gary Lee Joiner, Health Care Fraud, South Carolina

Gary Lee Joiner, 56, of Columbia, has admitted to masterminding a five-year health care fraud scheme that bled $2.8 million from Moore Orthopedic Clinic and Providence Hospital through a phantom medical supply company. Joiner, the former Director of Orthopedic Services, exploited his position to push fake invoices for orthopedic boots that were never delivered, authorities confirmed.

Timothy Weldon Arthur, 39, of Columbia, and Danielle Nicole Burroughs, 35, of Duncan, also entered guilty pleas Wednesday in federal court to Conspiracy, 18 U.S.C. § 1349. U.S. District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis accepted the pleas. All three face up to 20 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000. Sentencing is set for a later date.

Between 2011 and 2015, Joiner funneled fraudulent billing through Creative Casting Concepts (CCC), a shell durable medical equipment (DME) company he created in 2010 after Moore Orthopedic merged with Providence Hospital. Despite holding no legitimate operations, CCC submitted invoices for non-existent orthopedic gear, siphoning hospital funds directly into accounts controlled by the conspirators.

Danielle Burroughs was recruited by Joiner to lend her name to CCC, shielding his involvement. She managed a bank account and post office box tied to the fraud and collected approximately $191,000 over five years. Prosecutors say she acted as a front while Joiner ran the scam from behind the scenes.

Timothy Arthur stepped into Joiner’s role at Moore Orthopedic in January 2015 after Joiner retired. He agreed to continue the billing fraud and submitted false invoices in CCC’s name, netting about $24,000 before the scheme collapsed in June 2015. Investigators say the operation unraveled due to internal billing discrepancies flagged by hospital staff.

The case was investigated by FBI agents and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Winston David Holliday Jr. of the Columbia office. Acting U.S. Attorney Beth Drake emphasized that stealing from health care providers hits patients hardest—undermining trust and diverting resources meant for care. ‘This was not a victimless crime,’ Drake stated. ‘It was theft on the backs of the sick.’