A Slidell chiropractor has been hit with a prison sentence for a sizable health care fraud scheme. John Dennis Michael Peyroux, 58, must serve one year and one day in federal slammer after conspiring to bill Medicare for over-the-counter COVID-19 test kits that were never requested by actual patients, as reported by the United States Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Louisiana.
Details provided in court documents reveal that Peyroux's scheme began in November 2022 and involved purchasing the personal information of Medicare beneficiaries to submit Medicare claims for unrequested test kits. Some of these claims were even made for individuals who had passed away or were otherwise ineligible, such as those in hospice care. Peyroux also used the credentials of a former nurse practitioner to file these fraudulent claims, listing them as the referring provider without their knowledge or consent.
Altogether, Peyroux falsely billed Medicare for approximately $3.3 million and received around $3.2 million in payments through his chiropractic clinic. U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk ordered Peyroux to repay more than $3.2 million in restitution to Medicare and tacked on three years of supervised release plus a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to an announcement by U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle, the successful investigation into Peyroux’s activities was a collaborative effort among the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, United States Secret Service, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas D. Moses of the Financial Crimes Unit and Health Care Fraud Coordinator, and Assistant Chief Justin Woodard and Trial Attorney Kelly Z. Walters, of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.
The story of Peyroux's downfall is a cautionary tale in the fight against health care fraud. With over 5,800 defendants charged since March 2007 for falsely billing the health care system more than $30 billion, the Health Care Fraud Strike Force program continues to clamp down on such fraudulent activities. For more insights into their ongoing efforts, the general public can visit the Department's website dedicated to health care fraud. Peyroux’s brother, Steven D. Peyroux, echoes the consequences of involvement in health care fraud, as he awaits his own sentencing for his role in the operation on May 14, 2026.
