A Houston-based physician and two pharmacists were charged in a 13-count indictment for their roles in a $170 million healthcare fraud and kickback scheme.
Shalondria Simpson, PharmD, a pharmacist who owned and operated two Houston pharmacies, allegedly worked with her twin sister, physician Lashondria Simpson-Camp, MD, to refer prescriptions in exchange for kickbacks and bribes, according to a Sept. 26 news release from the Justice Department.
Between 2016 and 2022, the twins along with another pharmacist conspired to submit false and fraudulent claims to the Department of Labor’s Office of Workers’ Compensation Program for medically unnecessary drugs that were often induced by kickbacks and bribes.
Additionally, illegal kickbacks and bribes were often paid through shell entities or in cash directly to physicians, according to the report. To conceal the scheme, Ms. Simpson allegedly conspired to launder the proceeds through financial transactions greater than $10,000. After learning about the investigation, she also allegedly transferred funds among over 10 bank accounts and a cryptocurrency wallet to cash.