Alabama state representative arrested in Montgomery ‘pill mill’ case
Henry, R-
Investigators have called the clinic a "pill mill," alleging employees from clerical workers to physicians conspired to prescribe unnecessary controlled substances and overbill health insurance companies for services and medications.
Sanchez, Family Practice's owner, was arrested in
The monthslong investigation snared Henry not on drug distribution charges, but for a series of agreements between Sanchez and the state legislator to funnel patients to Henry's chronic care management company while submitting false claims that overcharged Medicare for services provided.
"I've always been as open and transparent as possible," Henry wrote in a social media post to his Facebook page Thursday. "For the last 8 years I have fought the government from further encroachment on our Freedoms. Today began my fight with the Federal Government for my freedom. So while I would like to lay everything on the table for all to see, that would not be wise while fighting an opponent that has endless resources like our Government. My goal was to help patients, and I did. Using a program established and promoted by Medicare, I helped chronically ill patients and saved the taxpayers' money. For that, I have been charged with multiple Felonies. I am not guilty of any crimes."
Henry faces 14 counts of conspiring to pay kickbacks, paying unlawful kickbacks, conspiring to commit health care fraud, health care fraud and conspiring to commit money laundering with the Atlanta Highway Family Practice clinic. Efforts to reach Henry or his attorney Thursday were unsuccessful.
Henry established chronic care management company MyPractice24 in 2015, a service designed to provide supplemental support to patients dealing with two or more long-term chronic conditions. Medicare typically would reimburse medical providers for the majority of chronic care, while providers had to collect a copay from patients in person.
According to federal court documents, Henry approached Sanchez around
"Among the kickbacks provided were direct payments to a member of the staff, free chronic care management services, free medical billing services, and free clinical services unrelated to the provision of chronic care management services," a DOJ release states. "Additionally, Henry assisted
Henry eventually installed a contractor at Family Practice and paid her kickbacks for each Medicare patient she could recruit for the chronic care services.
Henry was frequently absent from
Henry, 47, came into office in 2010 amid the Republican landslide that year, and won re-election in 2014. He championed anti-abortion bills and, like many new members of the caucus, was an outspoken opponent of any effort to create new taxes or revenue for the state's budget.
But the
Henry sharply criticized then-Gov.
The legislator also criticized then-Attorney General
Henry is the second
However, nothing in the indictment indicates Thursday's charges are related to Henry's job as a legislator.
Henry's arrest is the latest in a string of elected officials' misdeeds in
Former House Speaker
Former
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