Cordova Man Sentenced in Health Care Fraud Case

COLUMBIA, SC—United States Attorney Bill Nettles stated that R.L. Robinson-Taylor, age 46, of Cordova, South Carolina, was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Columbia for conspiracy to commit health care fraud, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349. United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr., of Columbia, sentenced Robinson-Taylor to 27 months’ imprisonment and ordered him to pay approximately $49,000 in restitution.

Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that R.L.’s wife, Malentha Robinson-Taylor, worked for an Orangeburg-based dentist. Both of them recruited individuals who supplied their Blue Cross Blue Shield policy numbers to them. Ms. Robinson-Taylor then submitted claims as though these individuals had been seen by her dentist employer, even though they had not. When checks were sent directly to the beneficiaries for services that had not been performed, they split the proceeds with the Robinson-Taylors. The total claims submitted totaled approximately $800,000. The amount paid was around $368,000.

Malentha Robinson-Taylor previously was sentenced to 51 months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay approximately $126,000 in restitution.

The case was investigated by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Assistant United States Attorney Winston D. Holliday, Jr. of the Columbia Office prosecuted the case.