Attorney General Jeff Jackson announced the sentencing of Wendell Lewis Randall to 30 months in prison, along with an order to repay over $2 million after pleading guilty to charges of health care fraud and money laundering. "This health care provider stole taxpayer dollars for his own profit while he worsened our state’s opioid crisis," said Attorney General Jeff Jackson. He emphasized the legal and ethical responsibilities of doctors in providing quality health care, adding that those who fail will be held accountable.
Randall, who owned the National Institute of Toxicology, PLLC (NIT) in Mt. Airy, was found guilty of prescribing unnecessary opioids and controlled substances between 2018 and 2021. He also mandated urine drug tests for patients at each visit, despite their lack of medical necessity. By billing Medicare and North Carolina Medicaid for these tests through his in-house laboratory, Randall obtained $753,446.70 from Medicare and $1,296,300.77 from Medicaid. These funds were used for personal purchases such as a property near his home costing $97,000.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's Charlotte Tactical Diversion Squad and Greensboro Diversion Group; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the Inspector General; the Internal Revenue Service; North Carolina Attorney General’s Office's Medicaid Investigations Division; and the North Carolina Department of Insurance. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca Mayer and Special Assistant United States Attorney Dan Spillman.
The Medicaid Investigations Division (MID) is tasked with investigating fraudulent activities against the Medicaid program as well as patient abuse cases in facilities receiving Medicaid funding. The division has recovered more than $1 billion in restitution for North Carolina so far. For fiscal year 2025, MID receives 75% of its funding from a federal grant amounting to $8,453,116 with an additional 25% funded by the State totaling $2,817,703.