GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr announced a Lawrenceville business owner pled guilty to defrauding Medicaid of $330,000.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, Averil Johnson, 47 of Lawrenceville, pled guilty to two counts of Medicaid Fraud for filing false claims for genetic testing services that were never given.
Carr’s office said Johnson was ordered to pay restitution and will serve a 10-year sentence, with one in prison and the rest on probation.
The news comes a week after the Georgia Medicaid Fraud and Patient Protection Division under Carr took civil and criminal action against a lab owner in Cobb County who is accused of running a genetic testing scheme.
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The AG’s office said Johnson employed two nurses, a doctor and several other staff for dermatology-related care.
Then, he hired another doctor to be the “director” for a lab Johnson had in Tucker.
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Carr’s office said that second doctor never saw any patients.
Instead, Carr said Johnson prepared false orders for testing at his own lab and false patient files related to genetic testing, then used the identities of the two doctors on staff to claim submissions without their knowledge.
Each claim Johnson filed with Georgia Medicaid for genetic testing was paid $1,988.69. The AG’s office said each patient interviewed denied knowledge of any genetic testing being done.
The state first became aware of the scheme when a nurse working at the office called the Georgia Department of Community Health and reported it. The matter was then taken to the Attorney General’s Office, which conducted the investigation.
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