Shalondria Simpson, a Houston-based Pharmacist and her twin sister, physician Lashondria Simpson-Camp have been charged for their roles in a multi-million healthcare fraud, kickback and money laundering scheme. The 13-count indictment also charges Shayla Bryant, the business manager for Ms. Simpson.
The scheme allegedly ran between 2016 and 2022 and involved prescriptions for injured federal United States Postal Services (‘USPS’) workers. Simpson owned two pharmacies in Houston, Advance Pharmacy and TruCare Phamacy. She allegedly submitted test claims to determine reimbursements for a given drug. After learning the rates, Simpson reversed the test claims and submitted fraudulent claims instead.
Simpson sent pre-printed prescription pads to her sister, based in Allen, TX and to a medical clinic based in Saint Rose, Louisiana. Simpson and Bryant paid kickbacks to her sister and the owner of the Saint Rose clinic in exchange for referral of prescriptions. In fact, the indictment alleges Simpson paid her sister $1.65 million in kickbacks to allow Simpson-Camp to buy a medical clinic in Richardson, TX and refer more claims in furtherance of the scheme.
Between in or around January 2016, and May 2022, Advance and TruCare billed FECA approximately $170 million for prescription drugs. FECA paid Advance and TruCare approximately $53 million on those claims.
The court has notified the defendants that the following property is subject to forfeiture;
- $53.8 million in criminal proceeds
- 7 properties, 6 in the Houston-area, one in New Orleans
- 6 vehicles
- 9 accounts with financial institutions.
If convicted, Simpson, Simpson-Camp and Bryant each face a maximum penalty of five years in prison for conspiracy to defraud the United States and pay and receive health care kickbacks as well as 10 years in prison for conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud. Simpson and Bryant each face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each count of paying health care kickbacks. Simpson faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to launder money instruments and 10 years for each count of money laundering.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/pr/physician-and-two-pharmacists-charged-170m-fraud-scheme