April 28, 2017
Defendant Received Jail Time and Ordered to Pay Full Restitution
Carson City, NV – Today, Nevada Attorney General Adam Paul Laxalt announced that Angela Walker, 45, of Caliente, was sentenced for insurance and Medicaid fraud. Walker previously pleaded guilty to the felonies for her role in defrauding insurance companies by billing for large amounts of compound pharmaceutical prescriptions that were rarely provided as billed to the patients or prescribed by a physician. Walker was the pharmacy manager at Meadow Valley Pharmacy (MVP) located in Caliente, Nevada. The head pharmacist, Adam Katschke, was convicted in January 2017 for his role in the fraud conducted at MVP. The fraudulent acts were committed between April 2013 and April 2015.
“Between the defendant and the head pharmacist, three million dollars were stolen from Medicaid and insurance companies,” said Laxalt. “The exploitation of government benefit programs and insurance companies that countless Nevadans rely on will not be tolerated, and suspects will continue to face aggressive investigation and prosecution.”
Seventh Judicial District Court Judge Gary Fairman sentenced Walker to 12-32 months in prison, and ordered her to pay restitution in the amount of approximately $1,500,000 to all affected insurance companies. Walker’s self-surrender date was set for June 5, 2017 at the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.
After information was initially provided by the Nevada Department of Public Safety, Investigative Division (NDI), the Insurance Fraud Unit (IFU) and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) of the Office of the Nevada Attorney General worked in conjunction with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office to investigate this fraud. During the course of the investigation, IFU and MFCU discovered that Walker played a role in the fraudulent acts conducted at MVP by not dispensing compound pharmaceuticals as billed and by creating false documentation for the pharmaceuticals allegedly dispensed.
On behalf of the attorney general and the State, the MFCU investigates and prosecutes financial fraud by those providing healthcare services or goods to Medicaid patients. Persons convicted of Medicaid fraud may also be administratively excluded from future Medicaid and Medicare participation. Anyone wishing to report suspicious activities regarding any related fraud may contact the IFU or MFCU at 702-486-3420 or 775-684-1100.
Senior Deputy Attorney Generals Ronda Clifton and Andrew Schulke prosecuted this case.
To view the criminal Information for Walker, click here. To file a complaint with our Office, click here.
WALKER, ANGELA
(Photo courtesy of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office)
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