A Sebastian County man was indicted in connection with health care fraud in a scheme to rob more than $88 million from the United States, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday.
Billy Joe Taylor, 42, of Central City, who owns and operates testing laboratories Vitas Laboratories LLC and Beach Tox LLC, submitted fraudulent claims for laboratory tests that weren't actually ordered or performed, according to the release.
The scheme included "over $42 million in false and fraudulent claims during the covid-19 health emergency that were billed in combination with claims that were submitted for testing for covid-19 and other respiratory illnesses," the release states.
Hundreds of claims were submitted for beneficiaries who had died or stopped giving samples, according to the release.
Taylor's indictment was one of 14, including 11 newly charged defendants and three who were charged in superseding indictments, in seven federal districts across the United States. All alleged participation in various health care fraud schemes that exploited the covid-19 pandemic and resulted in over $143 million in false billings, according to the release.
Taylor's case will be handled by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Arkansas.