National Health Care Fraud Takedown Results in 455 Defendants Charged in Fraud Scheme Totaling Over $6.5 Billion

Today, United States Attorney David I. Courcelle announced criminal charges against two defendants in connection with alleged schemes to defraud Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE, and other health care benefit programs. The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice's 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. The charges stem from schemes to submit claims for medically unnecessary respiratory pathogen panel ("RPP") testing and fraudulent claims for care that a provider did not provide to patients. Additionally, arrests were announced by the State of Louisiana's Attorney General's Office pursuant to criminal charges against three defendants in connection with alleged schemes to defraud Medicaid.

"The charges announced today include some of the largest and most complex cases that the Department has prosecuted and reinforces the combined missions of the Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana, and our law enforcement partners," said U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. "Our office, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute alleged perpetrators of fraud, and seek justice for those impacted by Health Care Fraud schemes."

"The men and women of Louisiana get up and go to work every single day to provide for their families. Their tax dollars are intended for those in need. Nothing is more offensive than those who manipulate the system for their own benefit," said Louisiana State Attorney General Liz Murrill.

The charges announced today by U.S. Attorney Courcelle are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in charges against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes involving over $6.5 billion in false claims and significant patient harm, including death. Today's Takedown represents a new era in federal, state, and international cooperation to combat health care fraud: cases in 56 federal districts and 45 U.S. states and territories, with 50 state Medicaid Fraud Control Units participating, the most in Department history. In addition, unprecedented international cooperation over the two-week Takedown resulted in the apprehension and return to the United States of the following health care fraudsters: one defendant in Kyrenia in connection with an over $3.7 billion scheme; two defendants in Estonia in connection with a previously charged $10.6 billion scheme; and, in the Philippines, one of FBI's Most Wanted Fraudsters in connection with a previously-charged $1.2 billion telemedicine fraud scheme. The Takedown involves the cutting-edge use of data analytics to target the worst actors; the seizure of over $182 million in cash, luxury vehicles, jewelry, and other assets; and full-spectrum accountability for all criminal actors from doctor's offices to corporate boardrooms.

Today's coordinated enforcement action involves a whole-of-government approach, including:

• Actions by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to suspend 1,079 providers and revoke billing privileges for 1,403 providers.
• 48 Civil Monetary Payment settlements amounting to over $73 million, over 1,400 provider exclusions, and 25 actions by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General ("HHS-OIG") under the Civil Monetary Penalties Law seeking more than $10 billion in payments to the Medicare Trust Fund from payments that CMS caught and suspended before the funds were paid to the fraudulent providers.
• Civil charges against 13 defendants for $14.8 million in health care fraud schemes, as well as civil settlements with 31 defendants totaling $23 million.
• 928 administrative cases by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seeking the revocation of authority to handle and/or prescribe controlled substances since October 1, 2025.

The following individuals were charged in the Eastern District of Louisiana federal court:

Holly Broussard, 44, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with a scheme to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare, Medicaid, and other health care benefit programs for medically unnecessary respiratory pathogen panel ("RPP") testing. As alleged in the indictment, Broussard, a sales representative for a diagnostic laboratory based in Louisiana, solicited orders for unnecessary RPP tests, to be bundled with COVID-19 tests, in order to maximize reimbursement from health care benefit programs. Broussard targeted providers in rural areas who had limited or no other options for treatment, including nursing homes and assisted living facilities that only needed COVID-19 testing. In total, Broussard caused the submission of over $51.7 million in claims for respiratory panel testing, of which the laboratory was reimbursed over $28.4 million. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney James McHale of the National Rapid Response Strike Force and Trial Attorney Kelly Z. Walters of the Gulf Coast Strike Force.

Dr. Christopher Whipple, 41, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was charged by indictment with health care fraud in connection with a scheme to submit at least $5,900,000 in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare. As alleged in the indictment, Whipple, a licensed physician, submitted claims on behalf of patients for care he did not provide, including billing for in-person care despite being outside the state of Louisiana. Whipple also submitted claims using the identities of other providers without their permission and caused the submission of claims for care allegedly rendered after a patient had died. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Zakeria Haidary and Acting Assistant Chief Sara Porter of the Gulf Coast Strike Force and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey Knight of the Eastern District of Louisiana. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Giavotella of the Eastern District of Louisiana is handling asset forfeiture.

Criminal actions in Louisiana State Court include:

Jaquala Robertson, 36, of Hammond, Louisiana, was arrested pursuant to a warrant for Medicaid fraud. As alleged in the arrest warrant affidavit, Robertson was the employer of Kirstan Wells as part of the Medicaid Self Direction Program and approved false claims for personal care services allegedly provided to Robertson's child who was a Medicaid recipient while the child was actually present in a day care facility. The amount of money paid by Medicaid for these fraudulent claims was $5,532.95. The case is being prosecuted by the Louisiana Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit with the permission of the District Attorney's Office for the Nineteenth Judicial District.

Kirstan Wells, 33, of Hammond, Louisiana, was arrested pursuant to a warrant for Medicaid Fraud. As alleged in the arrest warrant affidavit, Wells submitted false claims for providing personal care services to a Medicaid recipient for times when the recipient was actually in a day care facility. The amount of money paid by Medicaid for these fraudulent claims was $5,532.95. The case is being prosecuted by the Louisiana Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit with the permission of the District Attorney's Office for the Nineteenth Judicial District.

Asha Clark, 23, of Mount Hermon, Louisiana, was arrested pursuant to a warrant for Medicaid fraud. As alleged in the arrest warrant affidavit, Clark was employed as a direct service work through the Medicaid Self Direction Program to provide personal care services for a Medicaid recipient. During her employment, Clark submitted fraudulent claims to Medicaid for services that were not rendered during two separate time periods when the recipient was incarcerated. The total amount paid by Medicaid for these fraudulent claims was $6,610.79. The case is being prosecuted by the Louisiana Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit with the permission of the District Attorney's Office for the Nineteenth Judicial District.

The cases are being prosecuted by the Health Care Fraud Unit's National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, Texas, and West Coast Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys' Offices for the Middle District of Alabama, District of Arizona, Central District of California, Southern District of California, District of Colorado, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Northern District of Georgia, District of Hawaii, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Northern District of Iowa, Southern District of Iowa, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nebraska, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, District of New Mexico, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Middle District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, Northern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania, District of Puerto Rico, District of Rhode Island, District of South Carolina, District of South Dakota, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Virginia, Northern District of West Virginia, Southern District of West Virginia, Eastern District of Wisconsin, and Western District of Wisconsin; and State Attorneys General's Offices, through their MFCUs, in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Washington, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. In addition, the MFCUs for Alabama, North Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and Virigina participated in the investigation of federal cases announced today.

Descriptions of each case involved in today's enforcement action are available on the Department's website here.

The Eastern District of Louisiana, in particular, worked with the Department's Health Care Fraud Unit of the Fraud Division and the following law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute the cases filed during the Takedown: the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Federal Bureau of Investigation; IRS-Criminal Investigations; Louisiana Medicaid Fraud Control Unit; and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs - Office of Inspector General.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division ("Fraud Division"). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department's work to combat fraud supports President Trump's Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

An indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.