Cahokia Man Pleads Guilty To Health Care Fraud

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Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on October 15, 2014, Quincy O. Gamble, 39, of Cahokia, Illinois, pled guilty to an indictment charging that he engaged in a scheme to commit health care fraud. Sentencing has been set for February 15, 2015, in United States District Court in East St. Louis, Illinois. Gamble will face up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to 3 years of supervised release.

During his plea hearing, Gamble admitted that he had submitted false and fraudulent bills in relation to his alleged performance of personal assistant services in the Home Services Program, a Medicaid Waiver Program designed to allow individuals to stay in their homes instead of entering a nursing home. Gamble admitted to falsely billing the program between December 15, 2012 and March 31, 2014, when he purportedly rendered personal assistant services to a customer when he, in fact, did not. He even submitted claims for six months after the customer, his girlfriend, died. As a result, Gamble improperly billed $7,836.56 in payments for services not performed.

This prosecution is part of the third wave of the “Operation Home Alone” initiative announced on June 5, 2014, by United States Attorney Stephen R. Wigginton. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General and the Illinois State Police, Medicaid Fraud Control Bureau. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Liam Coonan and Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael Hallock.

If you suspect or know of an individual or company not complying with healthcare laws or public aid programs, you may report this activity to the local office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, or you may call 1.800.447.8477.