Health Care Fraud

Former Pharmacy Technician Charged with Health Care Fraud


April 28, 2010 - BIRMINGHAM—A federal grand jury today indicted a Rainbow City woman for health care fraud totaling more than $359,000 for illegal prescription reimbursements she received while working as a pharmacy technician at a discount department store in East Gadsden, U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance and FBI Special Agent in Charge Patrick Maley announced.

The indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges CHARLOTTE TURLEY, 52, with four counts of health care fraud and seeks to have her forfeit $359,381 to the government.

“Fraud involving health care providers increases the overall costs of health care to everyone,” Vance said. “This office will continue to prosecute anyone who seeks personal enrichment by stealing from health care providers.”

According to the indictment, TURLEY schemed to defraud Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama between June 2005 and July 2008 while she worked at an East Gadsden K-Mart store. As a pharmacy technician, TURLEY entered insurance claim information into the store’s computer system. She is charged with entering false information to reflect she received prescriptions that were never prescribed, and that she received reimbursements from Blue Cross and Blue Shield for the fake prescriptions.

In addition to the forfeiture, the defendant faces maximum sentences of 10 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000 on each count.

The FBI investigated the case, which is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lloyd Peeples and Henry Cornelius.

Members of the public are reminded that the indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove a defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.