Cody Lee West, Medicare Health Care Fraud, AR 2024

Cody Lee West, 38, of Paragould, Ark., is staring down federal charges after allegedly pocketing more than $1.5 million through a rigged medical imaging scheme that exploited Medicare for nearly three years. The owner of C & S Imaging, Inc., a mobile diagnostic testing company, was hit with one count of health care fraud today in Topeka, Kansas, according to U.S. Attorney Tom Beall.

West used his company to offer chiropractors free ultrasound equipment and operators—no strings attached, he claimed. But behind the curtain, the setup was anything but legitimate. Federal prosecutors say West billed Medicare for musculoskeletal exams and Doppler scans that were never ordered by physicians, never medically necessary, and in many cases, never even performed. Each fraudulent claim could net him up to $410 per patient.

The scam relied on deception at every level. Not only were services fabricated, but West allegedly created falsified documentation to make it appear as if the procedures were legitimate. These paper trails were then submitted to Medicare to justify payments on tests that never happened, exploiting weaknesses in the billing oversight system.

C & S Imaging operated as a mobile independent diagnostic facility, providing imaging services directly at chiropractic clinics across the region. By removing the need for patient referrals and physician oversight, West sidestepped standard medical protocols, turning diagnostic testing into a cash grab disguised as health care.

If convicted, West faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The case was jointly investigated by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Kansas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Division, highlighting the growing federal crackdown on medical billing fraud in rural and underserved areas.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanya Treadway is prosecuting the case, signaling the DOJ’s intent to make an example of those weaponizing health care systems for personal profit. With Medicare fraud costing taxpayers billions annually, the takedown of operators like West is becoming a top enforcement priority across the Midwest.

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