Samuel B. Johnson Sentenced to Lengthy Prison Term for Health Care Fraud

Source- http://www.fbi.gov/neworleans/press-releases/2011/baton-rouge-man-sentenced-to-lengthy-prison-term-for-health-care-fraud

BATON ROUGE, LA—United States Attorney Donald J. Cazayoux, Jr. announced that SAMUEL B. JOHNSON, age 48, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was sentenced this morning by U.S. District Court Judge James J. Brady to serve 60 months in federal prison for his role in a multi-year health care fraud scheme that he perpetrated in the Baton Rouge area.

JOHNSON was charged, along with three others, in a superseding indictment that was filed on December 8, 2010. The indictment alleged that JOHNSON was one of the owners of a company known as Medical Supplies of Baton Rouge, Inc. (“MSBR”), which was engaged in the business of providing power wheelchairs, orthotics and other durable medical equipment to Medicare beneficiaries. In connection with his guilty plea, JOHNSON admitted that from in or about November of 2005 through at least in or about June of 2009, he conspired to use MSBR to defraud the Medicare Program and commit health care fraud. Specifically, JOHNSON and his co-conspirators routinely submitted claims to Medicare seeking reimbursement for a set of expensive braces (including a back brace, knee braces, and other items), knowing that the braces were not medically necessary and had not been prescribed for the beneficiaries by their physicians.

Through the submission of such false claims, JOHNSON and his co-conspirators attempted to obtain more than $5.4 million in Medicare funds. On January 24, 2011, JOHNSON pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of money laundering.

This morning, Judge Brady sentenced JOHNSON to serve a term of imprisonment of 60 months. JOHNSON was also ordered to pay $878,280 in restitution, and ordered to forfeit an additional $928,280 in proceeds from his crimes. Following his release from imprisonment, JOHNSON will be required to serve a two-year term of supervised release.


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