A Louisiana nurse practitioner has been convicted by a federal jury for defrauding Medicare of more than $2 million in a scheme that involved fraudulent telehealth services and kickbacks, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Shanone Chatman-Ashley, 45, of Opelousas, was found guilty of five counts of health care fraud for signing off on over 1,000 fake orders for durable medical equipment (DME) such as knee braces and suspension sleeves between 2017 and 2019. Federal prosecutors say the patients had not been examined by her or any qualified medical professional, and the equipment was not medically necessary.
Chatman-Ashley, who worked as an independent contractor for telehealth companies, falsely certified patient consultations to push through Medicare claims. In return, she received illegal kickbacks and bribes from the companies, the Justice Department said.
“Today, a Louisiana jury convicted Shanone Chatman-Ashley of health care fraud for brazenly cheating Medicare out of its limited resources,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the DOJ’s Criminal Division. “Dishonest medical practitioners put significant strain on our health care system and reduce the quality of patient care.”
The case highlights ongoing efforts by federal authorities to crack down on fraud in the U.S. health care system. “She took advantage of beneficiaries who were elderly and handicapped to order items for them that were not medically necessary,” said U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook for the Western District of Louisiana.
“Illegal kickback payments undermine and corrupt the medical decision-making process,” added Jason E. Meadows, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “It’s ultimately the taxpayers who foot the bill.”
Chatman-Ashley is scheduled to be sentenced on July 31, 2025, and faces up to 10 years in prison for each count. The final sentence will be decided by a federal judge based on U.S. sentencing guidelines and statutory considerations.
The case was prosecuted as part of the Justice Department’s broader efforts to combat health care fraud nationwide.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice Press Release – May 2, 2025
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