Florida audiologist sentenced to nearly eight years in prison for healthcare fraud, other charges

Terri L. Schneider, 57, an audiologist from Lakeland, Florida, has been sentenced to 94 months in prison for her role in a multimillion-dollar healthcare fraud and money laundering scheme.

U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday of the Middle District of Florida also ordered Schneider to pay more than $2.5 million in fines, according to a statement from the Department of Justice.

In December 2015, a Tampa jury found Schneider and co-conspirator David Brock Lovelace guilty on charges ranging from conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and wire fraud, healthcare fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, money laundering and aggravated identity theft. Lovelace was sentenced on March 7 to 174 months in prison and ordered to pay the same amount as Schneider, more than $2.5 million.

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Evidence presented at trial showed that, from around June 2010 to May 2014, Schneider and her cohorts used three medical clinics in Florida -- Cornerstone Health Specialists, Summit Health Specialists and Coastal Health Specialists -- to submit over $12 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, seeking reimbursement for radiology, audiology, cardiology and neurology services. Medicare paid just under $3 million in reimbursement on the fraudulent claims.

The evidence also showed that Schneider and company used forged and falsified documents in the Medicare enrollment process for the clinics they operated under false pretenses, and billed Medicare for services that physicians never rendered.

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The co-conspirators also paid illegal kickbacks in exchange for access to Medicare patients and patient information used in the fraud scheme, evidence showed.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General and the FBI investigated the case, which was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, under the supervision of the Criminal Division's Fraud Section and U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida.

Twitter: @JELagasse