John Dennis Michael Peyroux, a 58-year-old chiropractor from Slidell, Louisiana, was sentenced on January 26, 2026, for his involvement in a healthcare fraud scheme. U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk handed down the sentence after Peyroux pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud related to fraudulent billing of Medicare for over-the-counter COVID-19 test kits.
According to court documents, starting in November 2022, Peyroux and others obtained Medicare beneficiary information—including names and identification numbers—and used fabricated recordings of individuals posing as beneficiaries requesting test kits. This information was then used to submit claims through Peyroux’s chiropractic clinic for test kits that were not requested or eligible for reimbursement. Some claims were made on behalf of beneficiaries who were deceased or otherwise ineligible due to being in hospice or inpatient care.
Peyroux also misused the credentials of a former nurse practitioner by listing them as the referring provider on false claims, despite the practitioner not treating the patients or ordering tests. Over approximately six months, Peyroux billed Medicare about $3.3 million in fraudulent claims and received around $3.2 million in reimbursements.
As part of his plea agreement, Peyroux agreed to pay more than $3.2 million in restitution to Medicare. Authorities also seized over $1 million from his bank accounts.
Judge Africk sentenced Peyroux to one year and one day in prison, three years of supervised release, restitution totaling $3,212,761.44, and a mandatory special assessment of $100. His brother Steven D. Peyroux has also pleaded guilty for his role in the scheme and is scheduled for sentencing before U.S. District Judge Wendy B. Vitter on May 14, 2026.
United States Attorney David I. Courcelle commended the efforts of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, United States Secret Service, and United States Postal Inspection Service during the investigation.
"The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force program," according to officials involved with the case. "Since March 2007, this program...has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion." Additional details are available at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
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