Connecticut District Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery today waived the right to prosecute Jeffrey Slocum, 55, of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and yesterday U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Underhill of Bridgeport. announced that he had pleaded guilty in front of 1 count of medical fraud and federal anti-kickback law violations.
From 2017 to 2022, former East Lyme resident Slocum was a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with offices at 300 State Street, New London, according to court documents and court statements. there were. In 2020, the Connecticut Medicaid Program (“Medicaid”) will audit Slocum for certain claims for psychotherapy services billed by Slocum to Medicaid between March 2018 and February 2020. was notified. As part of the audit, Medicaid requested the records of about 100 patients. Mr. Slocum had billed Medicaid for individual psychotherapy services.
In March 2021, Medicaid notified Mr. Slocum that an audit found that he received more than $225,000 in payments from Medicaid for undocumented services. Medicaid has informed Slocum that it will begin collecting the overpayment by deducting the overpayment in installments from future payments that Medicaid will make to Slocum. When Slocum learned the results of the audit and that he had to return the money to Medicaid, he began filing fraudulent claims with Medicaid for psychotherapy services he had never provided. All of the fraudulent claims Mr. Slocum filed with Medicaid indicated that he personally provided non-existent services.
As part of his plea, Slocum admitted to filing fraudulent claims totaling $695,048 with Medicaid between March 1, 2020 and February 24, 2022.
In pleading guilty, Slocum also admitted to being involved in a scheme to pay kickbacks to Medicaid patients for psychotherapy services. Slocum paid these rebates to patients in the form of cash, money orders, Walmart and VISA gift cards.
Judge Underhill is scheduled to deliver a sentence on November 8, at which time Slocum will be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison. Slocum also agreed to pay Medicaid full compensation.
The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General’s Office (HHS-OIG) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in cooperation with the Connecticut Department of Social Services. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Sheldon and Auditor Susan Spiegel.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Chief State Attorney’s Office, and Office of the Attorney General meet regularly as part of the Medicaid Fraud Task Force. The working group also includes representatives from the Connecticut Department of Social Services. Connecticut Department of Public Health. Drug Control Division of the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection. Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the FBI. Working groups review open issues and cases, identify trends that may indicate fraud, and coordinate efforts for maximum results.
Anyone who suspects medical fraud is encouraged to call 1-800-HHS-TIPS to report it.