Four plead guilty to defrauding Virginia Medicare

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Four Virginians have pleaded guilty to charges related to a healthcare fraud scheme which reportedly resulted in the loss of nearly $1 million by the Virginia Medicaid Program.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 43-year-old Jamahl Rennelle Burch of Hampton, also known as Jarod of Jerrod Burch, and three coconspirators knowingly defrauded Medicare for at least $936,950.70 over eight years.

The Virginia Medicaid Program provides medical assistance to eligible people, partly by reimbursing certain personal and respite care services provided by personal care attendants.

According to court documents, from 2015 until at least 2023, Burch arranged for Medicare recipients to sign up for reimbursed care services and his coconspirators personal care attendants.

The coconspirators, using the personal information of the Medicare recipients, then created fake timesheets which showed thousands of hours of services which did not take place, submitting the fraudulent timesheets to Medicare for reimbursement.

Forty-year-old William Carter, Jr. of Newport News and 36-year-old Tonisha Staton of Hampton were both Medicaid recipients and acquaintances of Burch who signed up to receive personal care services.

Staton purportedly hired 10 personal care attendants, none of whom actually provided any services, and submitted $228,972.44 in fraudulent timesheets. Carter purportedly hired seven personal care attendants and submitted $262,373.27 in fraudulent timesheets.

The fourth coconspirator, 46-year-old Jesse Jerome Hendren of Henrico County, signed up a relative who was a Medicaid recipient to receive personal care and respite care services. Hendren purportedly hired two people as personal care attendants, who never provided any care services, and submitted $150,425.99 in fraudulent timesheets.

Staton, Carter and Hendren pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud in February, all three face a total of 10 years in prison when sentenced in 2025. Burch pleaded guilty to the same charges in August, as well as healthcare fraud and aggravated identity theft. He faces up to 10 years in prison for healthcare fraud charges and at least two years for aggravated identity theft.

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