Three Arrested In Medicaid Fraud Investigation, Police Seek Two More Suspects
By Space Coast Daily // January 30, 2016
allegedly defrauding Medicaid out of more than half a million dollars
Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, with the assistance of the Maitland Police Department, the Sanford Police Department and the Sunrise Police Department, arrested three individuals for allegedly defrauding Medicaid out of more than half a million dollars.
Two more defendants are being sought by authorities for arrest.
According to the investigation, Matthew, Micah and Jimmie Harrell, along with Kenneith Durden and Keith Daly, billed Medicaid for services not provided and fraudulently used a licensed mental health provider’s information without that provider’s knowledge or consent to become accepted as a Medicaid provider.
Matthew Harrell and Kenneith Durden allegedly set up parallel, fraudulent business operations in Florida, Georgia and Louisiana that all engaged in similar criminal activities.
The businesses operated under the names Revive Athletics Florida, Divine Consulting Services and Durden Consulting Services of Florida. Keith Daly, an Amerigroup manager, allegedly helped to establish and run the fraudulent operations.
Amerigroup, a Medicaid managed care contractor, cooperated with the investigation.
In order to steal Medicaid recipient information, Micah Harrell, a Miami-area high school teacher, allegedly set up a non-profit, after-school tutoring operation.
According to the investigation, Revive Athletics used the illegally obtained recipient information to fraudulently bill Medicaid.
Revive Athletics, Durden Consulting and Divine Consulting shared several of the same Medicaid recipients and bank records revealed substantial financial connections between the Harrells, Daly, Durden and the three companies. According to the investigation, all three companies billed Medicaid for services never provided.
The following five have been arrested or are being sought in connection to this case:
• Keith Daly, 42, arrested in Maitland;
• Kenneith Durden, 43, arrested in Sanford;
• Jimmie Harrell, 73, fugitive;
• Matthew Harrell, 40, fugitive; and
• Micah Harrell, 45, arrested in Sunrise.
Each defendant faces multiple first degree felony counts, including Medicaid provider fraud, organized scheme to defraud and criminal use of personal identification information.
If convicted, the defendants face minimum mandatory sentences of 10 years in prison and maximum sentences up 105 years in prison. Attorney General Bondi’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, with the assistance of Medicaid fraud units in Georgia and Louisiana, investigated the case. The State Attorney’s Office for the Ninth Judicial Circuit will prosecute the case.
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