HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — A former Huntsville family practice doctor, Francene Aretha Gayle, and her wife, Schara Monique Davis, were sentenced Wednesday for their roles in drug crimes, healthcare fraud, and COVID-19 disaster relief fraud.
Judge Liles C. Burke sentenced Gayle to 87 months in prison, which includes four opioid prescribing charges, healthcare fraud, and wire fraud. Davis received a 42-month prison sentence for healthcare fraud and wire fraud.
The couple operated a multi-location medical practice in North Alabama, with Gayle serving as the sole physician and Davis as the business manager. Between 2014 and 2022, Gayle distributed drugs like oxycodone, hydrocodone, and methadone, and both admitted to conspiring to defraud insurers by billing for visits that Gayle did not attend, sometimes even when she was not in the building or town.
In 2015, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama flagged the practice after discovering fraudulent billing practices. Despite promising to stop, the fraud continued, leading to over $2.3 million in fraudulent payments from Medicare, Medicaid, and Blue Cross. The couple also conspired to misuse COVID-19 disaster relief funds. Gayle’s medical license was revoked in March 2020, and the practice closed shortly after.
Both Gayle and Davis pleaded guilty earlier this year and will now serve significant prison terms for their crimes.