Bristol Feds on Trial for Medicaid Fraud

ABINGDON, VIRGINIA – A federal grand jury has delivered a stunning blow to the healthcare system in Virginia by indicting three individuals on serious charges of healthcare fraud and wire fraud. United States Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. and Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring made the announcement today.

Deborah Branch, 64, Melissa Harr, 49, and Bryan Harr Sr., 40, all residents of Bristol, Virginia, face one count of health care fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, and two counts of wire fraud. The trio stands accused of a scheme that defrauded Virginia Medicaid out of $350,641.02.

The indictment claims that Branch was paid through two Medicaid contractors, Public Partnerships, LLC and ResCare, for services she never provided to Melissa and Bryan Harr Sr.’s disabled son. The child, who qualifies for services under the Intellectual Disability (ID) waiver program, did not receive the critical care he needed.

According to authorities, from January 2010 until September 2015, Branch was paid approximately $207,854.43 in exchange for time sheets she falsified. She also paid the Harrs nearly $200 every two weeks for their assistance in obtaining this fraudulent payment.

This investigation has been a joint effort by the Medicaid fraud Control Unit of the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and the Bristol Virginia Police Department. Janine M. Myatt, a Virginia Assistant Attorney General, is leading the prosecution for the United States.

The case serves as a stark reminder of the lengths some will go to in order to line their pockets at the expense of vulnerable populations and public trust.

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