Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today, that Donald Ray Keip, 39, of Mount Vernon, Illinois, pled guilty to a one-count indictment charging that he engaged in a scheme to commit health care fraud. Sentencing has been set for April 4, 2014, in United States District Court in Benton, Illinois. Keip will face up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to 3 years of supervised release.
During his plea hearing, Keip admitted that he had submitted false and fraudulent bills in relation to his alleged performance of personal assistant services in the Home Services Program, a Medicaid Waiver Program designed to allow individuals to stay in their homes instead of entering a nursing home. Keip admitted to falsely billing the program between June 30, 2012 and Jan. 29, 2013, when he purportedly rendered personal assistant services to an individual, his mother, when he, in fact, did not. As a result, Keip improperly received $24,000.00 in payments for services not performed.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General and the Illinois State Police, Medicaid Fraud Control Bureau. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William E. Coonan.
If you suspect or know of an individual or company that is not complying with healthcare laws or public aid programs, you may report this activity to the local office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, or you may call 1.800.447.8477.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
