Waco Woman and Former DTS Medical Supply Company Employee Sentenced to Federal Prison in Connection with $4.5 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

Robin Renee Haigler, 60-year-old former customer recruiter in the Waco area for DTS Medical Supply Company in Devine, TX, was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison for her role in an estimated $4.5 million Health Care Fraud scheme announced United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr., FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

In addition to the prison term handed down this morning in Waco, United States District Judge Alia Moses ordered that Haigler pay joint and several restitution in the amount of $3,269,300.11 to the federal government; and, be placed on supervised release for a period of three years after completing her prison term.  Judge Moses also allowed Haigler to remain on bond pending facility designation notification by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

On August 17, 2015, Haigler pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit Health Care Fraud.

On June 28, 2016, a jury convicted Haigler’s co-defendants, 55–year-old DTS Medical Supply Company owner Daniel Thomason Smith and 45-year-old DTS office manager Kathleen Marina Kelly-Tuorila, on multiple federal charges in connection with the same scheme. 

Both Medicare and Medicaid reimburse qualified beneficiaries for the purchase of prescribed and necessary medical equipment, including powered wheelchairs, powered scooters and accessories.  Medicare and Medicaid set different compensation rates for each of these devices.

Evidence presented during trial revealed that between May 2006 and January 2010, the defendants conspired to submit false and fraudulent benefit claims to Medicaid and Medicare seeking more than $4.5 million compensation by making claims for the higher-reimbursement powered wheelchairs.  In fact, they were delivering less-expensive powered scooters to customers, which resulted in a larger payment from Medicaid/Medicare and a larger percentage of profit for DTS and Smith.   In addition, the evidence showed that the powered wheelchairs the defendants billed Medicaid and Medicaid for were neither medically necessary nor prescribed by any physician.

Smith and Kelly-Tuorila, who remain in federal custody, await sentencing scheduled for 10:30am on November 18, 2016, in San Antonio.

This investigation was conducted by the agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation together with investigators from the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Surovic and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Rex Beasley are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.