Grimy Times Exclusive: In a shocking turn of events, two individuals involved in a massive healthcare fraud scheme have been sentenced to prison for their crimes. Shawn Thorpe, 30, and Ruben McLain, 46, both from Winston Salem, North Carolina, were found guilty of conspiring to commit healthcare fraud.
According to court documents, Thorpe and McLain worked together to create and manage Coastal Bay, a company that provided medical care to Medicaid patients. McLain had been excluded from billing federal healthcare programs based on his 2011 conviction for healthcare fraud. Thorpe never disclosed to the Medicaid program that he was working with an individual who had been excluded from participating in the program.
In an effort to conceal his involvement, McLain used an alias – “Julian Winchester” – and performed a variety of functions, including hiring and firing individuals, seeing patients, and performing other managerial tasks using the alias. McLain routinely traveled to Jacksonville from his home in North Carolina to assist in Coastal Bay’s operations.
The investigation revealed that McLain and his family received significant financial benefits due to his involvement in Coastal Bay. He had access to a Coastal Bay credit card that he used to make routine purchases at restaurants, furniture stores, gas stations, and other places in North Carolina, even though Coastal Bay had no operations in North Carolina. In addition, he and his immediate family received more than $10,000 in direct payments from the Coastal Bay business account.
Thorpe was sentenced to 2 years’ imprisonment for his role in the conspiracy, while McLain received a harsher sentence of 4 years and 9 months in federal prison. Both defendants were also ordered to pay significant restitution to their victims, with Thorpe ordered to pay $211,311.20 and McLain ordered to pay $1,159,050.51.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General and the State of Florida Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Jay Taylor prosecuted the case.
The harsh sentences handed down to Thorpe and McLain serve as a stark reminder of the consequences of engaging in healthcare fraud. The U.S. government will continue to crack down on those who seek to exploit the healthcare system for personal gain.
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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