CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa. — A Pennsylvania couple pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam said Monday.
John H. Johnson and Paula Z. Johnson, both of Hollidaysburg, admitted to their roles in a conspiracy that also involved the former leader of a York-based pain management practice, Karam said.
The Johnsons, who are married, each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States. John Johnson also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud.
Another member of the conspiracy, Rodney L. Yentzer, pleaded guilty to his role in related offenses in March 2022, Karam said. Yentzer is awaiting sentencing. As part of his plea, Yentzer agreed to pay $900,000 in restitution to the U.S. government.
Yentzer also agreed to be excluded from all federal healthcare programs for 22 years. The exclusion means that no federal health care program payment may be made, either directly or indirectly, for any items or services furnished by Yentzer or at the direction or on the prescription of Yentzer.
According to Karam, the Johnsons and Yentzer agreed to illegally bill people with expensive medical tests known as "urine drug tests." Johnson and Yentzer carried out this agreement through a few pain management groups in Central Pennsylvania, known as Lighthouse Medical and Pain Management of York.
PMY absorbed Lighthouse Medical in 2017 and closed its doors in 2019 after investigators executed search warrants at its various locations, Karam said.
PMY issued false claims to Medicare for presumptive and definitive Urine Drug Tests that were not medically reasonable or necessary, nor were they used to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of patients, according to prosecutors.
The Johnsons will be sentenced at a later date.
