CANDACE WILSON, age 38, a resident of Chalmette, Louisiana, was sentenced yesterday in federal court by U. S. District Judge Mary Ann Vial Lemmon to over twelve years (151 months) imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute and dispense controlled substances, conspiracy to commit health care fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, announced U.S. Attorney Jim Letten. In addition, Judge Lemmon ordered that WILSON pay $82,072.18 restitution to the Louisiana Medicaid Program and be placed on three (3) years of supervised release following the term of imprisonment, during which time the defendant will be under federal supervision and risks an additional term of imprisonment should she violate any terms of her supervised release.

In March 2009, WILSON pled guilty admitting that she participated with co-defendants Monica Jones, Joseph Braud, Thadrian Johnson, Ples Dobbins, Deshawn Whatley, Jimmie Lee Winters, and Joshua Williams, in a conspiracy to illegally distribute and dispense controlled substances, illegal distribution and dispensation of the controlled substances, conspiracy to commit health care fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. WILSON and her sister, Monica Jones, established Stanton Trinity Medical Group, Inc., Maximum Pain Management, LLC, and Reddi Care Ambulatory Clinic, LLC, pain management clinics in New Orleans, Lafayette, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. According to the factual basis, WILSON, Jones, Dobbins, and Johnson (a pharmacist) also opened a pharmacy, Southern Discount Drugs, to service the customers of Stanton Trinity Medical Group.

The clinics offered “pain management” by writing prescriptions that were not for legitimate medical purposes nor within the bounds of professional medical practice, and only accepted cash for medical services. In some instances, controlled substances and/or prescriptions for controlled substances were distributed without the recipient seeing a physician and the cost of a doctor visit was determined by the type of controlled substances the patient wanted.

WILSON further admitted that following the closure of Southern Discount Drugs, the defendants recruited individuals entitled to Medicaid benefits and paid cash in exchange for the use of their Medicaid numbers in order to illegally obtain controlled substances for distribution.

WILSON used the illegal proceeds to purchase numerous luxury vehicles and real estate. Additionally, WILSON admitted that she deposited and instructed others to deposit into bank accounts the illegal proceeds in amounts less than $10,000.00 to avoid the currency transaction reporting requirements of financial institutions. Following the execution of federal search warrants, the vehicles, properties, and several bank accounts were seized and later forfeited by WILSON.

James Lee, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation stated:

"It is the goal of IRS Criminal Investigation to work with the Department of Justice to ensure that those engaged in illegal activities are brought to justice. IRS Special Agents are highly skilled investigators who will work tirelessly to stop those individuals who scheme to benefit themselves to the detriment of other citizens and their government."

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service/Criminal Investigations, and Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tracey Knight and Bill McSherry.

 

 

 

 

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