Former Topeka Non-Profit Executive Pleads Guilty to Health Care Fraud

TOPEKA—A former executive with a Topeka-based non-profit corporation has pleaded guilty to scheming to steal more than $2 million in Medicaid funds, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today.

Jason Sellers, 43, Lyndon, Kansas, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. In his plea, he admitted that while he was chief financial officer of Kansas Health Solutions he diverted Medicaid funds to Advanced Business Consulting, which was a shell company he created. Sellers fraudulently billed Kansas Health Solutions for information technology services ostensibly performed by the sham business. He also billed Kansas Health Solutions for sports equipment and uniforms for sports teams with which he associated, as well as computer equipment for the local school for himself and for his family.

From about 2007 to 2011, Sellers was involved with several Topeka area sports teams. In addition to billing Kansas Health Solutions for sports equipment and uniforms for sports teams, Sellers used some of the stolen money to build and furnish a $375,000, 3,755-sq. ft. home on 11 acres in Lyndon, Kansas.

Medicaid funds are state and federal money that were administered in Kansas by the Kansas Health Policy Authority and the Kansas Department of Health And Environment, Division of Healthcare Finance. In order to manage community-based mental health services for Medicaid recipients, Kansas Medicaid contracted with Kansas Health Solutions in Topeka. Kansas Health Solutions was responsible for overseeing a provider network that provided all community-based health services covered under the contract with Kansas Medicaid.

Sentencing is set for January 17. The parties are recommending a sentence of three years in federal prison and restitution of more than $2 million. Grissom commended the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the FBI, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt’s Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanya Treadway for their work on the case.