A Charlotte-based behavioral health services provider, Ashley Nicole Cross, was sentenced to 135 months in prison for committing Medicaid fraud, COVID-19 fraud, and money laundering. The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, Dena J. King, announced the sentence. In addition to the prison term, Cross will serve three years of supervised release and pay $481,436.08 in restitution.
Cross, 42, was found guilty by a federal jury on May 17, 2024. The charges included healthcare fraud and making false statements related to healthcare matters. Robert M. DeWitt from the FBI's Charlotte Division and Stephanie G. Opet from the South Carolina Medicaid Fraud Control Unit were also involved in announcing the verdict.
Court documents revealed that Cross owned Odyssey Health Group (OHG), which submitted fraudulent claims to South Carolina Medicaid from 2016 to 2021 for services not provided. She used personal information of Medicaid beneficiaries to file these claims, amounting to over $1.2 million.
FBI agents interviewed beneficiaries whose identities were used without their knowledge or consent for these claims. Many reported that they had not received any services from Cross or OHG.
In addition to Medicaid fraud, Cross obtained fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loans totaling more than $287,000 for her companies during the pandemic period between April 3, 2020, and May 14, 2022.
During her trial, it was noted that Cross attempted to obstruct justice by contacting potential witnesses improperly. This attempt was considered when determining her sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI with assistance from several agencies including the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office and the Small Business Administration’s Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael E. Savage and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina Fleisch prosecuted the case against Cross.
Cross remains in custody and will be transferred to a federal facility upon designation by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.