Augusta man accused in Medicaid fraud acquitted

Nov. 20--A judge granted a directed verdict of acquittal Wednesday for an Augusta man accused of being a ringleader in a Medicaid fraud case.

Judge James G. Blanchard Jr., acquitted Jared P. Sullivan, 35, at the conclusion of the prosecution's case in Sullivan's Richmond County Superior Court trial, which began Nov. 12.

Sullivan was indicted along with the suspected ringleader of an alleged fraudulent scheme, Daniel Abshari, 33. Both were indicted on charges of violating the state's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act, Medicaid fraud, identity fraud, exploitation of an elderly or disabled adult, and conspiracy to defraud the state.

Defense attorney Maureen Floyd contended Sullivan was just as innocent as others who worked for Abshari's Base Medical who were fooled into believing the company was legitimately collecting DNA samples for testing of Medicaid and Medicare patients. Abshari knew what was happening but Sullivan didn't, Floyd told the jury in her opening statement.

Abshari also has pleaded not guilty.

Sullivan told members of the Crimes Against the Vulnerable and Elderly task force that he believed Base Medical provided a service. He knew the DNA sample swabs were mailed off for testing and that his salary and others depended on the samples being cleared. Sullivan told investigators that he was hired as the IT person and also served as the office administrator, but he insisted he didn't control the actions of any of the other employees.

"The evidence ... fails to show that the defendant, Sullivan, willfully and fraudulently possessed this data and also fails to show that he intended to use it fraudulently," Blanchard wrote in his order granting the defense's motion for a directed verdict. The reason or objective of the RICO count was not spelled out in the indictment, and that is an essential element that much be proven, he wrote. And an essential element of the conspiracy charge is knowledge and the evidence was insufficient to prove that, Blanchard found.

While he praised the prosecutor's and investigators' work on the case, the judge noted that the defense's speedy trial demand precluded a comparative analysis between (Sullivan) and the co-defendant (Abshari), who ran the operation.

A total of 11 people were arrested this summer within days of a briefing for CAVE task force members about a nationwide scam targeting elderly and poor residents. "DNA technicians" wearing scrubs and technician badges targeted public housing and other areas and collected personal identity information and Medicaid and Medicare numbers to fraudulently bill the government health insurance programs. Two groups were identified as working in Burke and Richmond counties.

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