VA employee convicted in $19 million home health fraud

| March 16, 2020


VA employee faces long prison term after conviction for home healthcare scam.

Nice little crew, defrauding the VA for a large sum in a short time. Glad the VA caught on pretty quickly and slammed this one down. Up to 20 years and $2M in fines just doesn’t seem enough.

Todd South

A 60-year-old Colorado Veterans Administration employee now faces up to 20 years in federal prison on charges connected to a home health scam that bilked $19 million from the VA in a year.

Following an eight-day trial a jury found Joseph Prince guilty on counts of felony health care fraud, conspiracy, payment of illegal kickbacks, money laundering and conflict of interest, according to a justice department statement.

Prince worked as a beneficiary provider relationships specialist with the VA’s Spina Bifida Health Care Benefits Program. The program covers medical needs for children of certain veterans of both the Korea and Vietnam wars afflicted with Spina Bifida.

He worked for the VA call center in Denver, Colorado and spoke with health care providers and their beneficiaries or families on health care needs and reimbursement.

Prince signed up family members of the program’s beneficiaries as home health contractors with “sham home health entities” run by Prince’s associates.

“To steal from a program that is intended to help our veterans and their children who suffer from serious medical conditions is reprehensible,” said U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn. “Mr. Prince was also harming the American taxpayers and will now pay a significant price for his actions.”

Though he knew that the entities were not authorized providers by the VA, he still encouraged the family members to submit their bills and include bills for services either not provided or not allowed by the VA, according to court documents.

Prince then took payment from the home health entities for his referrals, otherwise known as “kickbacks.”

His referrals led to nearly $20 million in VA payments to the agencies, which were run by associates that included his wife, brother-in-law, half sister and friends.

I’m thinking one of his associates copped a plea for a lighter sentence. Read the rest here: Military Times

Category: "Your Tax Dollars At Work", Crime, Legal, Veteran Health Care

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Skippy

And to think I have to fight to get a 65 dollar
Travel voucher paid and this shit is going on

5th/77th FA

Son. of. a. Bitch! This is why we can’t have nice things. And this mofo been sucking at the VA sugar teat for a long, long, long time. Wonder what other scams he perpetrated during his career. Maybe the boys at the deli will abuse you like you abused the taxpayers.

Another article with a nice picture of this POS I found’

https://www.veteranstoday.com/2019/07/18/vets-kids-used-to-scam-millions/

Hack Stone

He may have been a Prince on the outside, but he will be crowned Queen Of The Cell Block when he gets to prison.

Hack Stone

New game show, “Let’s Make A Plea Deal”.

“Do you want what is in the box, or what is behind Cell Door #3?”

A Proud Infidel®™

I wonder if he’s wiped his ACME® Race Card™ out yet?

Claw

“Doc” Shrum’s enabler/hook-up/partner in crime?

Comm Center Rat

Several years ago I worked for the Veteran Benefits Administration (VBA) for four years. In our little slice of the VA’s $160B annual budget, fraud usually wasn’t investigated unless it was alleged to be greater than $100K, but due to too few investigators $250K was the de facto threshold. Just not enough manpower to handle the caseload. Kudos for stopping this criminal fairly quickly. Now prosecute each family member to the fullest extent of the law.

Jeff LPH 3, 63-66

The Prince of Thiefs, and what a shit bird.

Ret_25X

this guy gets an F- for concept and “full eel shit past rutabaga” for execution.

What a felcher!

Hack Stone

The inmate formerly known as Prince.

Ret_25X

…he’s in the prison now, a blowin Julio, he’s the boogie woogie princess of cellblock B…

A Proud Infidel®™

He gonna be “Tiny Tyrone”‘s “Princess”!

ninja

Here is ANOTHER one.

This one claimed to have been a Service-Disabled Veteran to obtain Contracts thru the Government.

Only thing, she wasn’t. She served less than 3 years.

Greedy Little Ducks. All Of Them.

You Reap What You Sow.

“Marine Veteran Faces Federal Charges In Alleged VA Business Fraud”:

https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-marine-corps/2020/03/16/marine-veteran-faces-federal-charges-in-alleged-va-business-fraud/

“A 51-year-old Marine veteran was indicted recently on charges she committed fraud to obtain government contracts with the Department of Veterans Affairs for a company providing flooring and furniture over a seven-year period.”

“Valerie Gonzalez, of Tucson, Arizona, faces seven counts of wire fraud and one count of making a false statement on a VA vendor verification form”.

“Gonzalez is a service-connected veteran with a zero percent disability rating who served in the Marine Corps from April 1988 to November 1990.”

“From 2010 through at least May 2017 Gonzalez and The Primus Group allegedly claimed service-disabled veteran-owned small business status to obtain the contracts”.

“Gonzalez claimed to own 99 percent of the company when she applied for the program that grants priority to service-connected disabled veteran business owners.”

“But Primus has multiple other shareholders who do not have a service-connected disability status.”

“Which means that each of the seven wire transfers of money from the government to a bank in Texas that ranged from $228,000 to $340,000 over at least three years are considered fraud.”

“Only 51 percent of the business must be unconditionally owned by the service-connected veteran.”

“And the work must be done by the company run by the veteran, not simply delegated to other companies, known as “pass-through companies.”

“Gonzalez faces up to 20 years in federal prison and $250,000 fines for each of the eight counts.”

🤔

ChipNASA

Fuck Him HARD!!!

Well here’s my Monday post to let you guys know I’m here.

I am work quarantined because appointments related to the ongoing shingles, but I’m ok, just GUTTING IT UP, for now 9 weeks.

I’ll be back reading the last 3 days posts, but otherwise, I’ll be here.
Cheers
ChipnotatNASA

ninja

Prayers for your speedy recovery, Chipster, with that nasty Shingles.

Happy to see you are still in good spirits!

Stay Strong!

🤗

11B-Mailclerk

Are they having problems typing the virus? I can help!

Smith-Corona

….

(grin)