Anchorage, Alaska (KINY) – An Anchorage grand jury returned 115 felony counts against five co-defendants associated with the “MediCenter” affiliated clinics that operated on the Kenai Peninsula between 2014 and 2019.
Defendants are:
- Dr. Ray Lynn Carlson
- Carlson’s corporation, R. Lynn Carlson M.D., P.C.
- Scott L. Carlson
- Joseph Hurley
- Charise Carlson
Each of the five co-defendants was indicted on 23 felony counts for fraudulent billing to the Alaska Medicaid program and to Aetna and Premera Insurance Companies.
All of the defendants were charged with numerous class B and class C felonies to include scheme to defraud, medical assistance fraud, theft and fraudulent insurance acts. Each defendant faces a sentence from one to three years in custody and a possible $100,000 fine for each class B felony and a sentence of up to two years in custody and a possible $50,000 fine for each class C felony. In addition, the corporate entity, R. Lynn Carlson M.D., P.C. could be fined up to $2,500,000 or three times the pecuniary gain realized or sought for the commission of each felony offense.
Charges in the indictment are only allegations and all defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty at a trial.
This indictment is the result of a multi-year, multi-state and multi-agency investigation in the states of Alaska and Washington. The Alaska Medicaid Fraud Control Unit was assisted by investigators from the Washington and Utah Medicaid Fraud Control Units, agents and investigators from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Labor, the Alaska Division of Insurance, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, the Alaska State Medical Board, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Alaska Department of Health, the Kenai Police Department, the Alaska State Troopers, the Vancouver, WA, Police Department, and investigators from Aetna and Premera insurance.
The Alaska MFCU is part of the Alaska Department of Law Criminal Division. It is responsible for investigating and prosecuting Medicaid fraud, abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation of patients in any facility that accepts Medicaid funds. The unit is 75% federally funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $1,785,557.69 for FY 2023. The remaining 25%, totaling $595,185.90, is funded by the State of Alaska.
Citizens with information about suspected medical assistance fraud, patient abuse or neglect are encouraged to use the Alaska MFCU online complaint form at https://law.alaska.gov/pdf/criminal/MedicaidFraud.pdf or to call (907) 269-6279.
