Attorney General Thurbert Baker announced today that a DeKalb County jury returned felony convictions against three DeKalb County residents for Medicaid fraud. Lester Bullard, M.D., and his wife, Carol Bullard, were convicted of two felony counts of Medicaid fraud and one felony count of creating false writings in connection with their participation in a fraudulent DeKalb County medical clinic called Omnicare, Inc. A third defendant, Patricia White Anderson, was convicted of one count of creating false writings. Evidence presented at trial showed that the Defendants worked in conjunction with programs such as summer camps and after-school programs. Medicaid-eligible children were transported to Omnicare, where they were given, at most, a cursory "camp check-up." Once Omnicare had the children's Medicaid numbers, the Defendants caused numerous claims to be submitted for medical services never rendered. In all, the evidence showed that the Defendants obtained $370,000.00 in Medicaid payments for psychotherapy that was never provided.

Former employees of Omnicare testified that, after GBI agents served a subpoena on Dr. Bullard, the Defendants compelled Omnicare employees to fabricate phony patient files in an effort to provide documentary support for the fraudulent Medicaid claims that had been submitted. According to Attorney General Baker, "people who commit Medicaid fraud are just stealing from taxpayers, and these convictions should send a clear message that the taxpaying citizens of this state won't stand for it and neither will I."

The case was tried before DeKalb Superior Court Judge Linda Hunter. Sentencing for the three defendants will be imposed at a later date.

Assistant Attorneys General Nancy B. Allstrom and Doris Williams-McNeely prosecuted the case with support from the office of DeKalb District Attorney J. Tom Morgan. Allstrom and McNeely are assigned to the State Health Care Fraud Control Unit. This Unit, which specializes in Medicaid fraud prosecutions, has obtained Medicaid fraud convictions of 46 individuals, has participated in the recovery of over $20.6 million for state, federal and county governments, and has obtained orders for the recovery of an additional $9.7 million since July of 1995.