Ninth Defendant Pleads Guilty in TRICARE Scheme

      LITTLE ROCK—A ninth defendant has pleaded guilty in connection with a $12 million scheme to generate prescriptions for expensive compounded drugs paid for by TRICARE. Kenneth Myers Jr., 43, of Alpharetta, Georgia (formerly of Little Rock), pled guilty to conspiring to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute today before United States District Judge Kristine G. Baker.

      Myers collected nearly $70,000 for recruiting TRICARE beneficiaries to receive expensive compounded drugs, for which TRICARE paid over $340,000. Myers acknowledged offering TRICARE beneficiaries money to receive the drugs and that medical providers, including co-defendant Joe David May a.k.a. Jay May, 40, of Alexander, rubber stamped prescriptions without consulting the TRICARE beneficiaries.

      Upon learning a federal agent planned to interview a TRICARE beneficiary about his prescription, Myers instructed the man to lie by claiming he had been examined by a doctor before getting his prescription. When Myers was later interviewed, he lied to the FBI by claiming he played no role in securing prescriptions and instead directed beneficiaries to consult their own doctor.

       In pleading guilty to the kickback conspiracy, Myers joins Albert Glenn Hudson, 40, of Sherwood; Derek Clifton, 39, of Alexander; Donna Crowder, 66, of North Little Rock; Jennifer Crowder (formerly Bracy), 38, of Little Rock; Keith Benson, 50, of North Little Rock; Keith Hunter, 52, of Little Rock; Angie Johnson, 50, of North Little Rock; and Blake Yoder, 40, of Scott.

      Conspiring to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute is punishable by up to five years in federal prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

      Trial of the 10th and final defendant, May, is set for December 6, 2021, before Judge Baker. May faces charges of conspiracy, wire fraud, mail fraud, violating the anti-kickback statute, aggravated identity theft, lying to the FBI, and falsifying records in a federal investigation.

      Jonathan D. Ross, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, James A. Dawson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Little Rock Field Office, and Miranda Bennett, Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced the guilty plea.

      The investigation was conducted by the FBI and HHS-OIG. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alexander D. Morgan.

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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the

United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at

https://www.justice.gov/edar

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