Therapist Sentenced for Medicaid Fraud

0:00A federal judge just handed down a 54-month prison sentence to Hassan Jermel Pulliam, an innocent therapist busted for healthcare fraud and identity theft against Alabama Medicaid. He also got three years of supervised release and has to pay back $718,967 in $20. Restitution, no parole in federal court, so he's locked in. Pulliam enrolled as a Medicaid provider back in October 2018, then started billing for counseling sessions he never delivered. He used real patients' names, birth dates, and ID numbers without their OK or their families in cases with kids raking in that cash through. November 2023, officials are calling it a big win for taxpayers. Alabama AG Steve Marshall praised his team's work with federal partners, saying it protects resources meant for families in need. Acting U.S. Attorney Kevin Davidson stressed how this fraud steals from those who rely on Medicaid. It all started when Alabama Medicaid's integrity unit spotted shady billing and tipped off investigators in Montgomery and Birmingham.

1:07Their probe uncovered the fake claims leading to Pulliam's guilty plea last October. This case shows the heat on healthcare scammers was state and feds teaming up to chase down every dollar and key programs honest for the people. Who need them? That's your update from Birmingham News Today. Powered by AI, I'm Corey with the story.