Ex-Ole Miss Star Found Guilty in $194 Million Medicare and CHAMPVA Fraud Scheme

A former standout tight end for the Ole Miss Rebels, who briefly played in the NFL, now faces a daunting sentence of over 20 years in prison after being convicted of defrauding Medicare and a veterans insurance program out of a staggering $194 million.

Joel Rufus French, 47, from Amory, Mississippi, orchestrated a scheme involving overseas call centers and durable medical equipment firms, which he secretly owned. His operation focused on pushing unnecessary orthotic braces to elderly individuals, many of whom did not require them, as indicated by prosecutors and court records.

“This defendant’s conduct was egregious: He targeted seniors suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia and billed Medicare for orthotic braces for deceased patients and amputees,” stated Assistant U.S. Attorney General Tysen Duva.

French, once ranked among the top college tight ends in the 1990s, was found guilty on all counts by a federal jury in Tampa. He had engaged in deceptive practices by paying sham telemedicine companies to obtain signed orders from doctors and nurse practitioners who had neither examined nor spoken to the patients, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice.

Between mid-2017 and early 2019, French sold these fraudulent orders to marketers and medical supply companies, which subsequently submitted claims to Medicare. The 2024 indictment reveals that he defrauded Medicare and CHAMPVA, the health care program for families of disabled or deceased veterans, by billing for orthotic braces through eight medical equipment supply companies he owned and managed.

To conceal his connection to these companies, French employed false documents, as reported by the DOJ. In a particularly alarming aspect of his criminal activities, he withdrew approximately $225,000 in cash from a Mississippi bank, with over $10,000 transported in a bag to Orlando. This money was used to pay accomplices who sold him personal and insurance information of beneficiaries, the DOJ explained.

While a sentencing date has yet to be established, it is anticipated that French will face not only prison time but also the forfeiture of millions of dollars held in bank accounts and annuities with Pacific Life Insurance Co. and Athene Annuity and Life Co., as noted in the indictment.

Topics
Fraud

A former standout tight end for the Ole Miss Rebels, who briefly played in the NFL, now faces a daunting sentence of over 20 years in prison after being convicted of defrauding Medicare and a veterans insurance program out of a staggering $194 million.

Joel Rufus French, 47, from Amory, Mississippi, orchestrated a scheme involving overseas call centers and durable medical equipment firms, which he secretly owned. His operation focused on pushing unnecessary orthotic braces to elderly individuals, many of whom did not require them, as indicated by prosecutors and court records.

“This defendant’s conduct was egregious: He targeted seniors suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia and billed Medicare for orthotic braces for deceased patients and amputees,” stated Assistant U.S. Attorney General Tysen Duva.

French, once ranked among the top college tight ends in the 1990s, was found guilty on all counts by a federal jury in Tampa. He had engaged in deceptive practices by paying sham telemedicine companies to obtain signed orders from doctors and nurse practitioners who had neither examined nor spoken to the patients, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice.

Between mid-2017 and early 2019, French sold these fraudulent orders to marketers and medical supply companies, which subsequently submitted claims to Medicare. The 2024 indictment reveals that he defrauded Medicare and CHAMPVA, the health care program for families of disabled or deceased veterans, by billing for orthotic braces through eight medical equipment supply companies he owned and managed.

To conceal his connection to these companies, French employed false documents, as reported by the DOJ. In a particularly alarming aspect of his criminal activities, he withdrew approximately $225,000 in cash from a Mississippi bank, with over $10,000 transported in a bag to Orlando. This money was used to pay accomplices who sold him personal and insurance information of beneficiaries, the DOJ explained.

While a sentencing date has yet to be established, it is anticipated that French will face not only prison time but also the forfeiture of millions of dollars held in bank accounts and annuities with Pacific Life Insurance Co. and Athene Annuity and Life Co., as noted in the indictment.

Topics
Fraud