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LEGAL NEWSLINE

Thursday, September 19, 2024

Lawrenceville man indicted on charges of Medicaid fraud and identity theft

State Supreme Court
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Attorney General Chris Carr | Ballotpedia

ATLANTA, GA – Attorney General Chris Carr announced that Averil Johnson, 45, of Lawrenceville, has been indicted in DeKalb County on 10 counts of felony Medicaid Fraud and two counts of felony Identity Fraud. As the owner of National Healthcare Center, LLC, Johnson is alleged to have submitted fraudulent claims for genetic testing services his company did not provide and to have retained payments for those claims.

“Georgia’s Medicaid Program is meant to care for our most vulnerable, and those who seek to abuse it will be held accountable for their actions,” said Carr. “We’re committed to putting a stop to Medicaid fraud in our state, and we will continue to protect taxpayer dollars no matter the amount.”

The Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Division presented evidence to a DeKalb County Grand Jury, which returned an indictment charging Johnson on Aug. 20, 2024.

A copy of the indictment can be found here. No further information about the investigation or the indictment may be released at this time.

About the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Division

Since Attorney General Chris Carr first took office, his Medicaid Fraud Division has secured 90 convictions for Medicaid fraud and the abuse, neglect and exploitation of older adults, resulting in over $19 million in restitution orders in criminal matters. Over this same period, Carr’s Medicaid Fraud Division has obtained civil settlements and judgments totaling more than $108 million as a result of its efforts to safeguard the Georgia Medicaid program.

The Medicaid Fraud Division receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $4,871,744 for Federal FY 2024. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $1,623,912, is funded by the State of Georgia.

*Members of the public should keep in mind that indictments contain only allegations against the individual against whom the indictment is sought. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty, and it will be the government’s burden at trial to prove the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of the allegations contained in the indictment.

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