A woman who worked as an unlicensed medical assistant for a physician in Chicago was convicted for her role in a $6 million Medicare fraud scheme, the Justice Department said Nov. 17.
Rhonda Sutton, 58, conspired with others, including two home healthcare company owners, to bill Medicare for services for beneficiaries who did not qualify for them. She forged her physician employer's signature on certification forms and other documentation to enable the scheme, the Justice Department said.
The owners of Lansing, Ill.-based home healthcare companies A&Z and Dominion paid Ms. Sutton kickbacks in exchange for the forged physician forms. The companies defrauded Medicare of more than $6 million over the course of the scheme, the Justice Department said.
Ms. Sutton was convicted of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud on Nov. 16, the department said. She is set for sentencing on March 16 and faces up to 10 years in prison.