Lawrenceville man indicted for Medicaid and identity fraud

ATLANTA – Attorney General Chris Carr has announced that Averil Johnson, 45, of Lawrenceville, has been indicted in DeKalb County on 10 counts of felony Medicaid fraud and two counts of felony identity fraud. As the owner of his company, National Healthcare Center LLC, Johnson is alleged to have submitted fraudulent claims for genetic testing services his company did not provide and to have then retained payments for those claims.

“Georgia’s Medicaid Program is meant to care for our most vulnerable, and those who seek to abuse it will be held accountable for their actions,” Carr said in a news release. “We’re committed to putting a stop to Medicaid fraud in our state, and we will continue to protect taxpayer dollars no matter the amount.”

The Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Division presented evidence to a DeKalb County Grand Jury, which returned an indictment charging Johnson. No further information about the investigation or the indictment may be released at this time.

Since Carr first took office, the state Medicaid Fraud Division under his charge has secured 90 convictions for Medicaid fraud and the abuse, neglect and exploitation of older adults, resulting in more than $19 million in restitution orders in criminal matters. Over this same time period, the Medicaid Fraud Division has obtained civil settlements and judgements totaling more than $108 million as a result of its efforts to safeguard the Georgia Medicaid program.

The Medicaid Fraud Division receives 75% of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $4,871,744 for Federal FY 2024. The remaining 25%, totaling $1,623,912, is funded by the state of Georgia.

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