Richmond couple sentenced for overbilling Medicaid by nearly $1M

RICHMOND, Va. - A Richmond couple was sentenced today for conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud relating to their scheme to overbill Medicaid for mental health services. This case is part of the Trump Administration's Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.

According to court documents, in 2012, Erica Jackson, 39, and Jason Jackson, 40, created Live 4 Life, Inc., an agency that provided mental health counseling services to Medicaid recipients under Mental Health Skill Building (MHSB) and Intensive In-Home Services (IIH). Erica was responsible for overseeing all day-to-day activities of Live 4 Life, including compliance with relevant laws and regulations, staff training, and clinical supervision. Jason was the sole person responsible for submitting claims to Medicaid.

Beginning in January 2019, Erica and Jason conspired with their employees to bill Medicaid for services that were never provided. Erica directed Qualified Mental Health Professionals (QMHPs) to treat brief interactions with clients as one or more hours of MHSB or IIH services. Erica also directed QMHPs to bill for purported services provided to two or more clients at the same time. Live 4 Life routinely double-billed for IIH clients who were siblings by claiming to provide the siblings mental health services at the same time. QMHPs also routinely submitted MHSB progress notes with overlapping times, in which they falsely claimed to have provided services to two clients in locations miles apart during the same time period.

Erica and Jason compounded the fraud by billing Medicaid for additional hours, above and beyond the fraudulent hours submitted by the QMHPs for services that were never rendered.

Erica and Jason used the fraudulent proceeds to purchase luxury cars, including a Maserati GranTurismo and a BMW 750Li; to invest capital into other business ventures that Jason operated, such as two failed vegan restaurants; and to make over $120,000 in lease payments for their Richmond residence.

Erica Jackson was sentenced to four years in prison. Jason Jackson was sentenced to six months in prison.

Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Ian Kaufmann, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Day prosecuted the case.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division ('Fraud Division'). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department's work to combat fraud supports President Trump's Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District CourtLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACERLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. by searching for Case No. 3:26-cr-17.