A Greensboro resident has been sentenced to more than three and a half years in federal prison for her role in a scheme involving fraudulent Medicaid billing for urine drug tests. Jasmine Hoyle, 35, received a 44-month prison sentence and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to health care fraud and money laundering earlier this year. She was also ordered to pay restitution exceeding $6.2 million.
Court records show that Hoyle owned two Winston-Salem businesses—Harvest Focused & Consulting Services, LLC and The Ultimate Sacrifice—which submitted claims to Medicaid for services that were not performed. In one instance, Harvest Focused billed Medicaid on nearly 100 occasions for urine drug tests for a beneficiary who had no knowledge of the company or its services.
Medicaid reimbursed the two companies over $6 million during the period of the scheme. Authorities said Hoyle used proceeds from the fraudulent activity for personal expenses, including purchasing a Dodge Challenger.
“Stealing taxpayer dollars from a program that enables our most vulnerable citizens to access health care is reprehensible,” said U.S. Attorney Clifton T. Barrett. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to supporting investigation and prosecution of Medicaid fraud. We thank the federal and state agencies that partner in this effort.”
Special Agent in Charge Kelly J. Blackmon with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General stated, “Health care providers that fraudulently bill Medicaid for services not provided divert valuable taxpayer funds intended for some of the most vulnerable populations. OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of Medicaid and other federally funded health care programs.”
Special Agent-In-Charge Donald “Trey” Eakins, IRS-CI Charlotte Field Office, added, “Taxpayer’s money allocated to the Medicaid budget is used to provide healthcare services to our vulnerable populations. IRS Criminal Investigation special agents, together with our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office will identify, investigate, and prosecute those who enrich themselves by stealing from the federal government and subsequently the taxpayers.”
Acting U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge J. “Buck” Buckley of the Atlanta Division commented, “This case is a great example of a successful joint investigation, where we followed the financial footprint of the defendant to uncover evidence and bring them to justice. The resulting prison sentence sends a strong message that we will continue to aggressively purse and investigate those who engage in fraudulent schemes.”
Hoyle’s former business partner LaTameria Davis pleaded guilty earlier this month to conspiracy charges related to defrauding the United States; her sentencing is set for September 26 in Greensboro.
The investigation was conducted by several agencies including Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, North Carolina Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Investigations Division, Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, and United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Waid and Special Assistant United States Attorney Daniel Spillman are prosecuting the case.
