A former U.S. Navy servicemember pleaded guilty in San Diego federal courtroom on Thursday to his position in an insurance fraud scheme that concerned making false medical claims to a navy insurance program in change for unearned advantages.
Christopher Toups, 43, of Woodstock, Georgia, is certainly one of a number of defendants charged by San Diego federal prosecutors with allegedly bilking the Traumatic Servicemembers Group Life Insurance Program out of round $2 million.
“The Traumatic Servicemembers Group Life Insurance Program is designed to compensate service members who suffer serious and debilitating injuries while on active duty,” stated Stacey Moy, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Diego Division. “Falsely claiming benefits from this program siphons money from deserving beneficiaries and makes medical care more costly for all of us.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in San Diego stated Toups, a former chief petty officer development mechanic, took round $400,000 all through the scheme, which lasted from 2012 to 2015.
Prosecutors stated Toups and different servicemembers submitted claims primarily based on faux or exaggerated accidents and disabilities, and had been assisted by a health care provider and nurse in falsifying medical data to again their fraudulent illnesses.
When others obtained declare funds, Toups obtained a part of the cash as a “processing fee,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office stated. Prosecutors allege that kickback cash additionally went to Dr. Michael Villarroel, the medical physician for the unit the place Toups labored, and Kelene McGrath, a former Navy nurse to whom Toups was married on the time of the offenses.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office additionally stated a few of Toups’ co-defendants had been stationed domestically as a part of the Explosive Ordinance Disposal Expeditionary Support Unit One in Coronado.
Toups and different co-defendants await sentencing early subsequent 12 months.
