PHOENIX, Ariz. — A Phoenix man has been sentenced to 3.5 years in state prison after being convicted for his role in a Medicaid fraud scheme involving the illegal referral of patients to behavioral health facilities.
Corey Dion Beckhum was found guilty by a Maricopa County Superior Court jury on June 26, and officially sentenced on July 25, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes announced.
Beckhum was convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Consideration for Patient Referral and Attempted Consideration for Patient Referral, both tied to a practice commonly known as “patient brokering.” He received money in exchange for supplying Medicaid recipients to treatment centers.
“Mr. Beckhum tried to profit off the suffering of vulnerable Arizonans by selling access to Medicaid patients like they were commodities,” said AG Mayes. “That’s not just illegal—it’s reprehensible.”
The case stemmed from a joint investigation by the Arizona Attorney General’s Health Care Fraud and Abuse Section and the AHCCCS Office of Inspector General.
According to investigators, undercover agents discovered that Beckhum had negotiated prices for each patient referral and arranged to deliver them to behavioral health facilities in return for payments.
Authorities also found approximately 18 Medicaid recipients living in sober living homes operated by Beckhum throughout the Phoenix Valley.
This case underscores growing concerns about the exploitation of behavioral health systems and vulnerable individuals through fraudulent schemes targeting Medicaid-funded programs.
