A man and his “marketing company” have been named in a five-count federal indictment for a scheme that paid workers to solicit elderly residents for information used to fraudulently bill government medical programs.
Patrick Siado, of Texas, and his company, Optimus Prime Marketing, LLC, are charged with one count of Conspiracy and four counts of Health Care Fraud, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The Conspiracy charge carries a penalty of up to five years in prison, while each count of Health Care Fraud carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison. In addition to substantial fines and penalties, the charges also call for up to three years of supervised release after completion of any prison sentence. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Fraudulent testing and billing schemes make health care more expensive for everyone,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “It’s even worse when it targets programs designed to assist the elderly and poor, while potentially threatening their future health care needs. We’re grateful for the work to protect these vulnerable citizens by our federal, state and local partners, particularly the Augusta District Attorney’s Office and the Burke County Sheriff’s Office.”