North Carolina Medicaid Fraudsters Receive Over a Decade in Prison for $12.7 Million Scheme

Four individuals have been sentenced to more than 14 years in federal prison for orchestrating a $12.7 million Medicaid fraud scheme in North Carolina. The elaborate operation involved a fake substance abuse facility, Life Touch, LLC, and a urine drug screening company, 1st Choice Healthcare Services. Brandon Eugene Sims, Kimberly Mable Sims, Francine Sims Super, and Keke Komeko Johnson were found guilty of defrauding the Medicaid program by billing for costly substance abuse and lab services that were often unnecessary or never provided.

The fraudsters paid over $1 million in illegal kickbacks to drug-addicted Medicaid patients to entice them to participate in the scheme. Johnson and Super reportedly oversaw these kickback payments, which were designed to lure patients to Life Touch and 1st Choice. Brandon Sims, the owner of Life Touch, received millions in illegal proceeds but failed to report or pay taxes on the money. Following the initiation of a criminal investigation, Sims attempted to conceal over $1 million in cash at his Texas home, which federal agents later seized along with luxury vehicles and other real property.

U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle condemned the actions, highlighting the exploitation of vulnerable individuals. The sentences include significant restitution payments to North Carolina Medicaid and the IRS, totaling over $30 million, in addition to a $15 million fine for Life Touch, LLC, which has been permanently shut down. This outcome underscores the severe consequences for those who defraud public healthcare programs and exploit vulnerable populations for financial gain.