A federal grand jury in Arkansas returned an indictment Tuesday charging an Arkansas man who owned or managed numerous diagnostic testing laboratories with health care fraud, officials stated.
The fraud charges are in connection with over $100 million dollars in false billings for urine drug testing, COVID-19 testing, and other clinical laboratory services, according to authorities.
According to court documents, Billy Joe Taylor, 42, of Lavaca, engaged in a scheme between February 2017 and May 2021 in connection with diagnostic laboratory testing, including urine drug testing and tests for respiratory illnesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, that were medically unnecessary, not ordered by medical providers, and/or not provided as represented.
According to the indictment, Taylor controlled and directed multiple diagnostic laboratories, and used those labs to submit more than $100 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare.
The indictment alleges that Taylor obtained medical information and private personal information for Medicare beneficiaries, and then misused that confidential information to repeatedly submit claims to Medicare for diagnostic tests that were not ordered by medical providers and were not actually performed by the laboratories.
Taylor allegedly then used the proceeds of the fraud to live a lavish lifestyle, including purchasing numerous luxury automobiles, including a Rolls Royce Wraith, as well as real estate, jewelry, guitars, and other luxury clothing and items.
Taylor is charged with 16 counts of health care fraud, and one count of engaging in a monetary transaction in the criminally-derived property.
Taylor was previously charged by criminal complaint in May 2021, officials stated.
Each of the counts is punishable by a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Taylor is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.