Hattiesburg, Miss. – A Columbia woman is facing serious consequences after pleading guilty to health care fraud.
Joy Beth Harden, 51, of Columbia, Mississippi, pled guilty on Tuesday, August 10, 2021, to one count of health care fraud in U.S. District Court.
According to court documents, beginning in 2016 and continuing for well over two years, Harden executed a scheme to defraud Medicare and other health care benefit programs.
Specifically, Harden submitted fraudulent bills for durable medical equipment on behalf of her business, BZB LLC doing business as Duracare Home Medical Equipment in the Hattiesburg area.
As a result, Medicare and other benefits programs paid Harden for durable medical equipment that was never prescribed for patients and for medical equipment that was never delivered to the patients.
Harden will be sentenced on November 23, 2021, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.
A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Harden remains in federal custody awaiting sentencing.
Key Facts
- State: Mississippi
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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