CHARLOTTE, N.C. — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - North Carolina, Western), published as received.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Ronnie Lorenzo Robinson, Jr., 56, of Charlotte, appeared in federal court today and pleaded guilty to health care fraud for defrauding the North Carolina Medicaid out of hundreds of thousands of dollars by submitting claims for psychotherapy services that were never provided to recipients.
“Medicaid is for those who need medical care and cannot afford it, it is not a free pot of money to be exploited,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “We are working diligently with state and federal partners to aggressively pursue those who steal from the American taxpayer.”
“Healthcare fraud schemes drain taxpayer-funded government programs designed to help those in need and raise healthcare costs for all Americans. The FBI and our partners work diligently to hold criminals accountable who defraud the government and to protect the integrity of the programs for those who truly need them,” said FBI Charlotte Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis.
“After this defendant stole hundreds of thousands of Medicaid dollars, our Medicaid Investigations Division worked closely with U.S. Attorney Ferguson and other state and federal partners to get this guilty plea. We are going to go after every single instance of fraud and taxpayer theft,” said North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson.
According to plea documents, Robinson was the beneficial owner of a company called The Fisher of Men Project, LLC. As Robinson admitted in court today, he concealed his ownership of the company because he had previously been excluded from Medicaid and instead held out another individual as the owner of the company. During the scheme, Robinson obtained the personal identifying information of medical professionals and Medicaid recipients, then used that information to submit to Medicaid approximately $735,000 in false reimbursement claims for psychotherapy services, without the knowledge, authorization, or approval of those medical professionals or the Medicaid recipients. Court documents show that Robinson’s company received approximately $440,000 as payment from Medicaid as a result of the fraudulent reimbursement claims.
Robinson has been released on bond. The maximum penalty for the health care fraud offense is 10 years in prison. A sentencing date has not been set.
The FBI and the North Carolina Medicaid Investigations Division investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Armstrong and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina Fleisch of the Western District of North Carolina are prosecuting the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
