An Irving man was hit with a seven-year prison sentence for rigging a multi-million dollar COVID-19 testing scam, federal authorities revealed. Forty-year-old Terrance Barnard, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and aggravated identity theft, will also have to cough up more than $7 million in restitution, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Last year in September, Barnard copped to the scheme which authorities say, swindled money out of insurance companies by using stolen patient info to bill for nonexistent COVID-19 tests. Announced by U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton, stated, “These defendants took advantage of unsuspecting patients – and a global pandemic – to steal millions of dollars from insurers using private patient information.” Sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr, the fraud undermined patient trust and jacked up healthcare costs for everyone, as per the U.S. Department of Justice.
The heist involved bogus claims to multiple healthcare plans, as per the announcement by Casey Howard, Special Agent-in-Charge, Central Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, affirming their commitment to safeguarding the integrity of employee benefit plans. As part of his plea, Barnard confessed to snatching patient data like a hungry raccoon in a cornfield, storing the stolen identities on disposable phones, and pillaging clinic records with a fellow conspirator.
With the ill-gotten info in hand, Barnard’s scam involved sending hefty bills to insurers, including the big guns like Blue Cross Blue Shield and United Healthcare, for purported testing at shell companies masquerading as labs that never really tested a single swab. Connie Jo Clampitt, William Paul Gray, and Don Hogg, also involved in the rip-off, have already submitted guilty pleas, with Gray serving a 54-month sentence; Clampitt and Hogg await their fate on the sentencing bench.
Federal agencies including the Department of Labor – Employee Benefits Security Administration and the FBI’s Dallas Field Office cracked the case wide open. The probe underscores a continuing battle against healthcare swindles that sink the system, stealing millions that could otherwise fund legitimate care. Assistant U.S. Attorney Renee Hunter has been tasked with prosecuting this high-stakes game of smoke and mirrors.
