Central Nova News

The final defendant pled guilty on August 29 in a healthcare fraud scheme that resulted in nearly $1 million in losses.

The Virginia Medicaid Program provides medical assistance to indigent individuals who meet certain eligibility requirements. Under its consumer-directed care program, Medicaid authorizes the provision of personal and respite care services to eligible Medicaid recipients by a personal care attendant (PCA). Personal care services include a range of support services to enable Medicaid recipients to remain at or return home rather than enter a nursing facility and include assistance with activities of daily living, access to the community, self-administration of medication, other medical needs, supervision, and monitoring of health status and physical condition.

According to court documents, from May 2015 through at least November 2023, Jamahl Rennelle Burch, aka Jarod or Jerrod Burch, 43, of Hampton, identified and selected Medicaid recipients to sign up for Medicaid-reimbursed personal care or respite care services. Burch and his co-conspirators executed agreements that designated numerous different individuals as PCAs for those recipients. The conspirators used the personal identifying information (PII) of the Medicaid recipients and purported PCAs to create accounts for the submission of timesheets for purported personal care and respite care services.

For over eight years, the conspirators submitted fraudulent timesheets to Medicaid showing thousands of hours of personal care and respite care services. Burch and his co-conspirators approved these timesheets attesting that services were provided when the conspirators knew that none of the PCAs provided any personal or respite care services to the Medicaid recipients.

In total, Burch and his co-conspirators knowingly caused Medicaid to pay at least $936,950.70 in fraudulent reimbursements for personal care and respite care services that never occurred.

Burch pled guilty on August 29 to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, healthcare fraud, and aggravated identity theft. He is scheduled to be sentenced on January 9, 2025, and faces up to 10 years in prison for the healthcare fraud counts and a minimum of two years in prison to be served consecutive to any other term of imprisonment for aggravated identity theft.

Tonisha Staton, 36, of Hampton; William Carter Jr., 40, of Newport News; were Medicaid recipients and acquaintances of Burch.

In 2015, Carter signed up to receive personal care and respite care services and purportedly hired seven PCAs. None of the seven PCAs provided any services to Carter. In total, the conspirators submitted $262,373.27 in fraudulent timesheets to Medicaid for services that had never been provided to Carter. Similarly, in 2016 Staton signed up to receive personal care and respite care services and purportedly hired ten different PCAs; none ever provided any services. The conspirators submitted $228,972.44 in fraudulent timesheets to Medicaid for services that had never been provided to Staton.

In 2017 Jesse Jerome Hendren signed up his relative—a Medicaid recipient identified in court records as Recipient 1—to receive personal care and respite care services. Hendren purportedly hired two people as PCAs; neither provided any services. The conspirators submitted $15042599 in fraudulent timesheets for Recipient 1’s non-existent service.

Staton Carter Hendren pled guilty in February conspiracy commit healthcare fraud Each faces up ten years prison when sentenced

Actual sentences federal crimes typically less maximum penalties A federal district court judge will determine sentence after considering U.S Sentencing Guidelines statutory factors

Jessica D Aber U.S Attorney Eastern District Virginia Jason Miyares Attorney General Virginia Stanley M Meador Special Agent Charge FBI Richmond Field Office Maureen R Dixon Special Agent Charge Office Inspector General U.S Department Health Human Services HHS Troy W Springer Special Agent Charge National Capital Region U.S Department Labor Office Inspector General made announcement Senior U.S District Judge John A Gibney Jr accepted Burch’s plea

Assistant U.S Attorneys Carla Jordan-Detamore Brian R Hood prosecuting case

Virginia Department Medical Assistive Services Fraud Abuse Referral Hotline available concerned citizens report allegations related inappropriate use Medicaid benefits Follow link more information

A copy press release located website U.S Attorney’s Office Eastern District Virginia Related court documents information located website District Court Eastern District Virginia PACER searching Case Nos:

3:23-cr-151 (Burch)

3:24-CR-6 (Carter)

3:24-CR-7 (Hendren)

3:24-cr-8 (Staton)