Woman indicted in Medicare fraud
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A Port Allen woman was indicted this week by a federal grand jury on allegations she obtained $103,982 through false claims submitted to Medicare.
Cleopatra Lacour Montgomery, 52, could not be reached at her home telephone Friday. And the U.S. District Clerk’s office in Baton Rouge reported that no attorney had yet been listed in court records for her defense.
“Medicare fraud is a major and increasingly serious problem that costs taxpayers billions in lost and wasted dollars,” Mike Fields, special agent in charge of the Dallas Regional Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said in a written statement.
“Every dollar that we save or recover allows us to better serve those who really need and deserve our help,” Fields said. He added that Montgomery’s indictment “sends a message to those who corruptly take advantage of the Medicare system.”
According to the indictment obtained by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rene Salomon, Montgomery used her P&L Medical Services Inc., to bill Medicare for medical equipment that was either never supplied to patients or was not the expensive equipment ordered for them.
Often, the indictment alleges, Montgomery charged Medicare for power wheelchairs that cost more than $4,000. Instead of those wheelchairs, patients allegedly received scooters that cost less than half that amount.
Montgomery faces 22 counts of health-care fraud and three counts of money laundering.
Each fraud count carries a possible penalty of 10 years in prison.
Each money laundering charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Cleopatra Lacour Montgomery, 52, could not be reached at her home telephone Friday. And the U.S. District Clerk’s office in Baton Rouge reported that no attorney had yet been listed in court records for her defense.
“Medicare fraud is a major and increasingly serious problem that costs taxpayers billions in lost and wasted dollars,” Mike Fields, special agent in charge of the Dallas Regional Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said in a written statement.
“Every dollar that we save or recover allows us to better serve those who really need and deserve our help,” Fields said. He added that Montgomery’s indictment “sends a message to those who corruptly take advantage of the Medicare system.”
According to the indictment obtained by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rene Salomon, Montgomery used her P&L Medical Services Inc., to bill Medicare for medical equipment that was either never supplied to patients or was not the expensive equipment ordered for them.
Often, the indictment alleges, Montgomery charged Medicare for power wheelchairs that cost more than $4,000. Instead of those wheelchairs, patients allegedly received scooters that cost less than half that amount.
Montgomery faces 22 counts of health-care fraud and three counts of money laundering.
Each fraud count carries a possible penalty of 10 years in prison.
Each money laundering charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
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