CHARLESTON, S.C. — Three individuals from Lancaster, South Carolina, have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with a fraudulent Medicaid scheme that resulted in over $246,000 in false claims.
Charles McKinley Griffin, 55, Tika Michelle Griffin, 48, and Kirk Nathan Evans, 54, operated a business called Transformation Services, which claimed to provide behavioral health counseling to Medicaid recipients. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina announced the guilty pleas on Wednesday.
According to federal authorities, the Griffins enrolled clients, primarily from disadvantaged backgrounds, into services that were never provided. They submitted false claims to the South Carolina Medicaid program for therapy sessions that did not take place. Additionally, the business used unlicensed individuals to perform the services, violating state law.
The fraud resulted in the company fraudulently obtaining at least $246,335.12 from the Medicaid program. Charles Griffin had previously been barred from serving as a Medicaid provider after a prior investigation into a similar fraud scheme, but he continued to play a significant role in the operation of Transformation Services, despite being formally excluded from the company.
Tika Griffin was listed as the president of the company, but authorities state that Charles Griffin remained actively involved in its operations, contributing to the fraudulent activities. Kirk Evans assisted the couple by facilitating the fraudulent billing to Medicaid.
Each of the three defendants faces up to 10 years in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and will be required to pay restitution to the Medicaid program. Additionally, they could face up to three years of supervised release after their terms of imprisonment.
The case highlights the ongoing efforts by authorities to combat health care fraud, particularly in the Medicaid system, which is vulnerable to abuse by unscrupulous operators. The U.S. Attorney’s Office continues to crack down on fraud schemes that misuse public health programs meant to serve those in need.
The sentencing for all three defendants will occur at a later date, and the investigation is expected to continue.
