INDIANAPOLIS—Josh J. Minkler, the United States Attorney, announced today that Drula Faye Fields, 62, Buckeye, Arizona, was convicted of stealing over $1 million from multiple health insurance providers. She was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison by U.S. District Chief Judge Richard L. Young.

“Health care fraud gets into the pockets of all of us through waste, theft and abuse,” said Minkler. “Ms. Fields and others like her should know, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will hold you accountable for this type of behavior.”

Fields was a medical biller for multiple doctors in the Chicago and Central Illinois area. She worked as the record keeping agent for Doctor’s Billing Service. One of the doctors she billed for had a practice in Peoria, Illinois, who primarily performed medical physicals for pilots. The doctor was certified by the FAA to perform the physicals for pilots who needed the examination to retain their license.

Beginning in December of 2010 and continuing until 2012, Fields sent approximately 68 false claims for pilot physical examinations which were never rendered. Two pilot visited the doctor three times each but Fields billed the health care providers for nearly ten times those visits. All total, health insurance companies were billed for over $1 million in fraudulent claims and diverted to an account controlled by Fields. She then squandered this money at casinos and on home and Internet shopping.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Anthem Insurance, and the Indiana State Police.

According to Assistant United States Attorney Bradly Shepard who prosecuted the case for the government, Fields was ordered to pay over $1,000,000 in restitution to victims and serve three years of supervised release after her sentence.