In a significant wrap-up to a long-running, Southern Nevada Medicaid fraud case, 11 individuals have been convicted, resulting in a restitution order totaling $5.5 million, FOX5 Vegas reports. Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford announced these convictions, stemming from fraudulent claims for mental health services not rendered—claims that were originally identified in July 2017.
The investigation, which was launched by the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU), delved into allegations surrounding two mental health Medicaid provider businesses, Top Notch Behavioral Health and Shepherds Heart Services, with subsequent inquiries revealing a broader ring of fraudulent activity, according to details from 8 News Now. Among the convicted were the operators of a church involved in the scheme, with Greg and Carol Kirby having been sentenced and ordered to pay restitution amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars; Greg Kirby insisted upon his innocence, claiming in a 2018 interview with 8 News Now that he was being framed following an IRS raid.
Other individuals convicted in relation to the case include Erica Goodley and Billy Kirby, who were both sentenced to three years probation and ordered to pay nearly half a million dollars each, while Regina Brice, asserting she’s "not a thief," was sentenced to four years probation and must pay over $1.1 million in restitution, "We didn't do what we're accused of doing at all," Brice told 8 News Now after her conviction.
The first person convicted in the case, Lavell Worthy, received a sentence of one year's probation and was ordered to pay $100,000; while others such as Robert Bailey and Joseph Brice faced incarceration for their roles in the fraud, with sentences of 15 months and 10 months respectively, Henrietta Binford and Antonette Harris were also convicted on charges including healthcare fraud and aiding and abetting with varied sentences and high restitution orders, rounding out the list of those held accountable in a sophisticated scheme that claimed impossible hours of work and exploited a system designed to serve those grappling with mental health needs.
