Omanghana
A New Orleans man has been ordered to pay $7,002,410.26 in restitution after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud in connection with a telemedicine scheme targeting Medicare.
John M. Spivey, 55, was sentenced on October 13, 2026, to five years of probation, including one year of home confinement. U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle announced the sentence.
According to prosecutors, Spivey worked with co-defendant Jamie P. McNamara of Missouri in a scheme that operated between November 2018 and July 2020. McNamara ran several laboratories with Spivey’s assistance, using telemarketers and call centers to recruit Medicare beneficiaries for cancer and cardiovascular genetic testing.
The laboratories obtained testing orders from telemedicine doctors who were not responsible for the beneficiaries’ care. Prosecutors said the doctors had no established relationship with the patients, did not conduct genuine consultations and provided no follow-up care.
The medically unnecessary tests were obtained through arrangements involving illegal bribes and kickbacks. During the conspiracy, the laboratories submitted more than $174 million in fraudulent Medicare claims and received over $55 million in reimbursements.
McNamara also pleaded guilty for his role in directing the operation. He received a 10-year federal prison sentence and was ordered to pay $174 million in restitution. His penalties included the forfeiture of approximately $7 million and three vehicles seized before his indictment.
Spivey’s restitution obligation is held jointly and severally with McNamara, making both responsible for the amount covered by that order.
The case followed a joint investigation by the FBI’s New Orleans Field Office and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.
Source: Omanghana
