King of Prussia Woman Indicted on Health Care Fraud, Identity Theft, Drug Distribution Charges
| U.S. Attorney’s Office October 06, 2011 |
Elissa Jo Benoit was charged today by indictment with a total of 75 counts involving health care fraud, aggravated identity theft, aiding and abetting the distribution of controlled substances, and distribution of controlled substances by a person at least 18 years of age to persons under 21 years of age, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger.
The indictment alleges that defendant Benoit was operating a health care clinic named Transition Phase III and that, starting as early as February 2009, she was billing for services of a physician who was not working at the clinic. During that time, she was using the name and other unique identifying information of the physician in order to bill health care benefit programs for the services of the physician who was not actually providing services to the patients. The indictment also alleges that Benoit was writing unauthorized prescriptions for Schedule II controlled substances to patients at the clinic, using the names and information of two physicians. The indictment alleges that Benoit was writing these prescriptions to adults and to patients under 21 years of age, including minors, one of which was only 4 years old at the time the patient received a prescription for a Schedule II controlled substance.
Information Regarding the Defendant
| Name |
Address | Year of Birth |
| Elissa Jo Benoit | King of Prussia, PA | 1935 |
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of more than 100 years’ imprisonment, including a mandatory minimum sentence of three years’ imprisonment, a mandatory minimum of six years of supervised release up to a lifetime of supervised release, a fine of $48.25 million, mandatory restitution, and a $7,400 special assessment.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of the Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew J.D. Hogan.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.