Five convicted in $1.2 billion healthcare kickback scheme

TYLER – Five people have been found guilty of violating the Anti-Kickback Statue in connection to a $1.2 billion dollar healthcare kickback conspiracy,  U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs said on Thursday. According to our news partner KETK, those convicted were Susan L. Hertzberg, 65 of New York, New York, Matthew John Theiler, 57 of Mars, Pennsylvania, David Weldon Kraus, 65 of Loudon, Tennessee, Thomas Gray Hardaway, 51 of San Antonio and Jeffrey Paul Madison, 48 of Georgetown.

Before the start of the trial following people were indicted in connection to the conspiracy:
Jeffrey Paul Parnell, 54, of Tyler
Susan L. Hertzberg, 64, of New York
Matthew John Theiler, 56, of Mars, Pennsylvania
David Weldon Kraus, 64, Loudon, Tennessee
Thomas Gray Hardaway, 49 of San Antonio
Laura Spain Howard, 48, of Allen
Jeffrey Paul Madison, 47, Georgetown, Texas
Todd Dean Cook, 57, Wimauma, Florida
William Todd Hickman, 59, of Lumberton, Texas
Christopher Roland Gonzales, 45, of McKinney, Texas
Ruben Daniel Marioni, 37, of Spring, Texas
Jordan Joseph Perkins, 38, of Conroe, Texas
Elizabeth Ruth Seymour, 39, of Corinth, Texas
Linh Ba Nguyen, 58, of Dallas
Thuy Ngoc Nguyen, 54, of Dallas
Joseph Gil Bolin, 50, of Dallas
Heriberto Salinas, 62, of Cleburne, Texas
Hong Davis, 54, of Lewisville
Parnell, Howard, Cook, Hickman, Gonzales, Marioni, Perkins, Seymour, Thuy Nguyen, Salinas, and Davis all pleaded guilty before the trial started, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Gregory P. Shilling, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s Southwest Field Office said, “The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service is committed to protecting the integrity of TRICARE, the health care system for military members and their dependents. Today’s guilty verdicts send a clear message that DCIS, along with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, will diligently pursue fraudsters who seek self-enrichment by undermining the integrity of this critical program.”
The defendants in this case could face up to five years in federal prison when sentenced.