NEW ORLEANS, LA – In a brazen display of greed, two men have been charged with orchestrating a $174 million Medicare scam, duping the government out of millions.
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that Jamie P. McNamara, 48, of Missouri, and John M. Spivey, 53, of New Orleans, were charged by a grand jury on May 10, 2024, in an 18-count superseding indictment for conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, health care fraud, conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks, offering and paying kickbacks, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering.
According to the superseding indictment, McNamara and Spivey orchestrated a scheme to defraud Medicare by billing for cancer genetic testing and cardiovascular genetic testing that was ineligible for Medicare reimbursement because the testing was not medically necessary and was procured through the payment of illegal kickbacks and bribes.
The indictment alleges that from in or around November 2018 through July 2020, the laboratories operated by McNamara and Spivey submitted over $174 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for genetic testing and received over $55 million in reimbursements.
The government seized several luxury vehicles and over $7 million in bank accounts, leaving the defendants with a significant financial hit. McNamara faces up to twenty years in prison for each of the conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud counts, while Spivey faces up to twenty years for the same charge.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas D. Moses and Department of Justice Trial Attorneys Kelly Z. Walters and Justin M. Woodard will prosecute the case.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the superseding indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
Related Federal Cases
- $174M Medicare Scam: Missouri Man & New Orleans Resident Charged with Conspiracy · Louisiana
- Western Union Scam · Washington
- FDIC Appoints Five New Members to Advisory Committee on Community Banking · Mississippi
- 23andMe Faces Legal Fire for Genetic Data Sale · Washington
- 23andMe Faces Lawsuit for Selling Genetic Data · Washington
Key Facts
- State: Louisiana
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
