Two pharmacy owners in Western Kentucky have been arrested on federal charges of health care fraud and aggravated identity theft.
A grand jury for the Western District of Kentucky at Paducah returned charges against Micheal Shawn Boaz and Christopher Clayton Augustus for health care fraud in excess on one million dollars.
Boaz is a licensed pharmacist and owner of the Clinton Pharmacy, while Augustus provided pharmacist services at the Bardwell Pharmacy.
The indictment stated Boaz and Augustus were the owners of the Bardwell location.
The indictment stated between June of 2017 and September 8th of 2021, Boaz and Augustus conspired and agreed to falsely and fraudulently bill various health care benefit programs for medications when no physician or nurse practitioner issued the order.
Count 28 of the indictment stated Boaz and Augustus used the name and National Provider Identifier number of a nurse practitioner and physician without lawful authority.
If convicted on counts 1-thru-26 the penalties include no more than 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine or both for each count.
Counts 27-and-28 carry a penalty of no less than two years consecutive on each count.
