A federal jury in Lafayette yesterday convicted a Louisiana nurse practitioner for her involvement in a healthcare fraud scheme that billed Medicare over $2 million for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (DME).
Shanone Chatman-Ashley, 45, of Opelousas, was found guilty of five counts of health care fraud following a trial. According to court documents and evidence presented, Chatman-Ashley, a Medicare-enrolled nurse practitioner, worked as an independent contractor for companies claiming to provide telehealth services to Medicare beneficiaries.
Prosecutors demonstrated that Chatman-Ashley routinely ordered DME, such as knee braces and suspension sleeves, for patients she had not examined. To conceal the fraudulent activity, she signed documentation falsely asserting that she had consulted with beneficiaries and conducted personal assessments…