San Antonio, Texas – In a shocking turn of events, a former employee of Kindred Home Health (KHH) has been charged with participating in a massive health care fraud scheme that defrauded federal health care benefit programs out of millions of dollars.
According to the indictment, 37-year-old Amber Price, a former KHH employee, created fraudulent prescriptions which were submitted for payment to federal health care benefit programs including Medicare, Medicaid, FEHBP, TRICARE and other private insurance companies. The indictment also alleges that Price and her accomplice, 46-year-old Christopher Cruz, owner of a medical marketing business, CP Cruz Management Group, LLC, solicited and received monies from various pharmacies and laboratories to increase their volume of signed prescriptions, lab analysis and other billable procedures.
Between June 2014 and April 2019, Price allegedly forged physician’s signatures on prescription forms or used pre-signed or photo copied prescription forms to create fake prescriptions. She then used actual hospital patient information she obtained to create these fraudulent prescription forms.
Price and Cruz accepted financial kickbacks paid by pharmacies on a per-prescription basis once they received payment from the insurance companies. During the scheme, Price was paid over $250,000 in kickbacks by multiple different marketers.
The indictment, which was unsealed today, charges Price with one count of conspiracy to violate the federal anti-kickback law, four counts of soliciting and receiving illegal kickbacks, one count of conspiracy to commit Health Care Fraud, and five counts of Health Care Fraud and aiding and abetting Health Care Fraud. If convicted, Price faces up to 10 years in federal prison for each of the Health Care Fraud charges and up to 5 years for the conspiracy to violate the federal anti-kickback law and soliciting and receiving illegal kickbacks.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, in conjunction with investigators from the Texas Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, the Department of Defense OIG – Defense Criminal Investigation Service, Health and Human Services OIG and the Office of Personnel Management OIG. Assistant United States Attorney Justin Chung is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
It is worth noting that an indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Price was arrested today in San Antonio, Texas, and is currently being held without bond. A trial date has not been set.
Related Federal Cases
- Jason Jarin, Medicaid Fraud and Illicit Transition Procedures, Texas 2023 · Texas
- Shannon Tecoko Mays, Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Texas, 2012 · Texas
- Cathy Harvill and William Harvill, Conspiracy to Commit Health Care… · Texas
- James Pavlounis, Social Security Administration Fraud and Tax Evasion, California 2023 · Texas
- Juan A. Tony Marrero, Medicare Fraud Scheme, Miami FL, 2023 · Texas
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Health Care Fraud|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
