Attorney General Thurbert Baker announced that former Clayton County Coroner Marshall Newsome was sentenced today in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia by Judge Willis Hunt. Newsome received a sentence of 96 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release and 60 hours maximum of community service. Newsome was ordered to pay $12.7 million in restitution and an $8,000 special assessment. Newsome was previously ordered to forfeit property in Riverdale that includes a funeral home.

Newsome was convicted on September 15, 2000 of 80 counts (54 counts of mail fraud, 24 counts of money laundering, one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering) after a trial in United States District Court before Judge Hunt. The charges arose from a Medicaid fraud scheme involving a company owned by Newsome. Attorney General Thurbert Baker’s office, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the State Auditor cooperated with United States Attorney Richard H. Deane’s office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation during the investigation and prosecution of Newsome. Georgia Assistant Attorney General Harrison Kohler and Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell Vineyard handled the prosecution.

“State and federal law enforcement agencies take Medicaid fraud seriously, and this case shows that we will cooperate to bring persons committing crimes against the taxpayers to justice,” Baker said. “When we find evidence of fraud against government programs, we will vigorously prosecute those charges and seek stiff penalties and restitution,” he continued.