The owner of two purported telemedicine companies pleaded guilty Friday to her role in a conspiracy to defraud Medicare of $136 million, according to federal officials.
According to court documents, Jean Wilson, 52, of Richmond Hill, Georgia, was a licensed nurse practitioner in New Jersey.
Wilson owned two purported telemedicine companies, Advantage Choice Care LLC (ACC) and Tele Medcare LLC (Tele Medcare), and two orthotic brace suppliers, Southeastern DME and Choice Care Medical.
Wilson used these businesses to run a scheme where she paid medical professionals to prescribe unnecessary orthotic braces and prescription drugs to Medicare beneficiaries.
These prescriptions were not eligible for Medicare, were unnecessary, or sometimes were not even provided. Wilson would only pay these professionals if they signed orders for orthotic braces, often without any real patient consultation, court documents indicate.
Wilson’s fraudulent activities led to false claims to Medicare and related plans totaling over $136 million. Medicare and its affiliates paid at least $66 million for these claims.
Wilson admitted to her role in this fraud and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, officials stated.
She is set to be sentenced on July 18 and could face up to 20 years in prison.
She has also agreed to pay over $66 million back to Medicare and the IRS.
Heath and Human Services Office of the Inspector General, FBI, and IRS are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Darren C. Halverson and Nicholas K. Peone of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.