Dawn Rhodes, Medicare Fraud Scheme, GA 2024

Dr. Dawn Rhodes, 43, of Atlanta, Georgia, has been convicted on eight federal counts tied to a brazen $1.4 million Medicare fraud scheme that preyed on elderly nursing home residents. After a four-day trial in St. Louis, a jury found Rhodes guilty of engaging in a scheme to defraud Medicare and submitting false claims for services never rendered.

Rhodes, a licensed podiatrist, systematically billed Medicare for routine nail care services allegedly provided to patients in nursing homes and residential care facilities. In reality, many of the patients never received treatment—or had no medical condition requiring such care. The fraud occurred between 2013 and 2017, during which Rhodes submitted false claims totaling $1,443,672.53.

The trial, presided over by U.S. District Court Judge Henry E. Autrey, exposed a calculated pattern of deception. Rhodes falsified medical records and certifications to justify billing for services that either never happened or were medically unnecessary. Investigators say she exploited lax oversight in federal health programs to line her own pockets while endangering patient trust.

“Unscrupulous health care providers who improperly bill Medicare for non-covered services will continue to be vigorously pursued by our office in order to preserve the integrity of the program,” said Steve Hanson, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Kansas City Region.

U.S. Attorney Jeff Jensen hailed the verdict as a major win in a broader crackdown on healthcare fraud. “Today’s conviction of Dr. Rhodes is the culmination of a five-plus-year investigation resulting in a total of nine federal convictions, sentences to prison, and judgement requiring restitution of almost $7 million. We appreciate the coordinated effort of our federal law enforcement partners and are pleased with the jury’s unanimous verdict on all counts charged.”

Rhodes is scheduled for sentencing on August 13, 2019. She faces up to 10 years in prison on each scheme to defraud count and up to 5 years on each false claim count, with mandatory restitution. The case was investigated by Health and Human Services and the FBI’s St. Louis division, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dorothy McMurtry and Gwendolyn Carroll.