07/03/2025
Two Tifton business owners charged in connection with largest Health Care Fraud enforcement action in U.S. Justice Department history
As a part of the largest Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action in Department of Justice History, The Eastern District of Louisiana Strike Force Announces Charges Against Four Individuals.
On Tuesday, July 1, 2o25, Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced criminal charges against four defendants in connection with alleged schemes to defraud Medicare and other government programs. The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown.
“The charges announced yesterday reinforce the combined missions of the Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana, and our law enforcement partners, to aggressively, and relentlessly, pursue those perpetrators who attempt to victimize our nation’s citizens,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson. “Our office, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to investigate and prosecute perpetrators of fraud, and seek justice for those impacted by Health Care Fraud schemes.”
“This record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.”
The charges announced on July 1 by Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants for their alleged participation in health care fraud and illegal drug diversion schemes that involved the submission of over $14.6 billion in alleged false billings and over 15 million pills of illegally diverted controlled substances. The defendants allegedly defrauded programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled, to line their own pockets. The Government, in connection with the 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, and other assets.
The following individuals were charged in the Eastern District of Louisiana:
Leland Roberts, 46, of Tifton, Georgia, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with a scheme to bill Medicare for over $30 million for medically unnecessary genetic testing, and to pay and receive kickbacks. As alleged in the indictment, Roberts, co-owner, chief executive officer of, and (later) consultant to Luminus Diagnostics, a diagnostic laboratory located in Tifton, Georgia, conspired with others to procure orders for genetic testing in exchange for kickbacks, including orders acquired through purported telemedicine. To ensure the false and fraudulent claims would be paid, Roberts and his co-conspirators allegedly designed the genetic testing order forms to be “dummy proof”—with prepopulated diagnosis codes and check-the-box panels—and frequently billed the tests through another laboratory where co-conspirators thought the claims were more likely to be approved, which they concealed via a sham contract. Roberts and his co-conspirators caused the submission of over $30 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for genetic testing, and Medicare paid approximately $4.4 million based on those claims. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas D. Moses of the Eastern District of Louisiana and Trial Attorney Kelly Z. Walters of the Gulf Coast Strike Force.
Dr. Marion Lee, 61, of Cordele, Georgia, was charged by information with conspiracy to defraud the United States in connection with a scheme to bill Medicare approximately $24 million for medically unnecessary genetic testing, and to pay and receive kickbacks. As alleged in the information, Dr. Lee, co-owner of and medical advisor to Luminus Diagnostics, a diagnostic laboratory located in Tifton, Georgia, conspired with others to procure orders for genetic testing in exchange for kickbacks, including orders acquired through purported telemedicine. To ensure the false and fraudulent claims would be paid, Lee and his co-conspirators allegedly designed the genetic testing order forms to be “dummy proof”—with prepopulated diagnosis codes and check-the-box panels—and frequently billed the tests through another laboratory where co-conspirators thought the claims were more likely to be approved, which they concealed via a sham contract, among other deceptive means. Dr. Lee and his co-conspirators caused the submission of over $24 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for genetic testing, and Medicare paid approximately $4 million based on those claims. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas D. Moses of the Eastern District of Louisiana and Trial Attorney Kelly Z. Walters of the Gulf Coast Strike Force.
Steven D. Peyroux, 56, of Canton, Georgia, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and two counts of health care fraud in connection with a scheme to bill Medicare approximately $12.1 million for over-the-counter (“OTC”) COVID-19 tests that were not requested and ineligible for reimbursement. As alleged in the indictment, Peyroux, a chiropractor and purported health care consultant, conspired with others to pay kickbacks in exchange for Medicare beneficiary information nationwide, including names, Medicare identification numbers, and clearly fabricated recordings of individuals posing as beneficiaries and requesting OTC COVID-19 tests, which they used to bill Medicare for OTC COVID-19 tests that were not requested. In an attempt to avoid Medicare scrutiny, the indictment alleged that Peyroux and co-conspirators solicited multiple providers to join the scheme, who they directed to enter into sham agreements and make false statements in response to Medicare audits, to conceal the misconduct. Peyroux and his co-conspirators caused the submission of approximately $12.1 million in false and fraudulent claims, of which Medicare paid approximately $11 million. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas D. Moses of the Eastern District of Louisiana and Trial Attorney Kelly Z. Walters of the Gulf Coast Strike Force.
Zoe Francis, 46, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was charged by information with theft concerning programs receiving federal funds in connection with her role in embezzling funds from the Institute of Women and Ethnic Studies (“IWES”), a non-profit organization based in New Orleans that received grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and other federal funds. As alleged in the information, Francis, as the chief operating officer of IWES, embezzled the funds for the benefit of herself and family members, including unauthorized expenditures for personal events and Amazon purchases. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas D. Moses of the Eastern District of Louisiana and Trial Attorney Gary A. Crosby II of the Gulf Coast Strike Force.
“The scale of this Takedown is unprecedented, and so is the harm we’re confronting. Individuals who attempt to steal from the federal health care system and put vulnerable patients at risk will be held accountable,” said HHS-OIG Acting Inspector General Juliet T. Hodgkins. “Our agents at HHS-OIG work relentlessly to detect, investigate, and dismantle these fraud schemes. We are proud to stand with our law enforcement partners in protecting taxpayer dollars and safeguarding patient care.”
“Stealing from the patients who rely on our government to provide healthcare is despicable,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Tapp of the FBI New Orleans Field Office. “The FBI will continue working side by side with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana to bring these individuals to justice for their actions.”
The Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, and Texas Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Arizona, Central District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California, District of Columbia, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle, District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Middle, District of Georgia, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Maine, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Northern District of Mississippi, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nevada, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Western District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, District of North Dakota, Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, District of South Carolina, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Washington, and Northern District of West Virginia; and State Attorney Generals’ Offices for Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania are prosecuting the cases in the National Health Care Fraud Takedown, with assistance from the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team.
Descriptions of each EDLA case and others involved in the enforcement action are available at website.
The Eastern District of Louisiana, in particular, worked with the Department’s Criminal Division and the following law enforcement organizations to investigate and prosecute the cases filed during the enforcement period: the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the United States Secret Service; and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
An information or indictment is merely an allegation.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
