Jeanerette Mayor Aprill Foulcard, Iberia Parish Councilman Berwick Francis and other family members were indicted today in a Baton Rouge court for racketeering and Medicaid fraud.
The family company, JABA Enterprises, also was named in the indictment.
The indictments were expected, following investigations by the state Department of Health into JABA Enterprises. To read our story about that, click here.
An arrest warrant has been issued for the arrest of Foulcard, for Francis, who is her brother, for their sister, Antigone Anthony and for their mother Jacqueline Francis, East Baton Rouge Parish Clerk of Court records.
Foulcard was indicted on the following charges:
- Racketeering
- Conspiracy to commit racketeering
- Medicaid Fraud
- Conspiracy to commit Medicaid Fraud
- Filing False Public Records
- Money laundering
- Conspiracy to commit forgery
JABA Enterprises was indicted on these charges:
- Racketeering
- Conspiracy to commit racketeering
- Medicaid Fraud
- Conspiracy to commit Medicaid Fraud
- Filing False Public Records
- Money laundering
- Conspiracy to commit forgery
Antigone Anthony, Berwick Francis and Jacqueline Francis were all indicted on these charges:
- Racketeering
- Conspiracy to commit racketeering
- Medicaid Fraud
- Conspiracy to commit Medicaid Fraud
- Filing False Public Records
- Money laundering
- Conspiracy to commit forgery
Wanner Colbert was indicted on three counts of felony Medicaid fraud, and Adriane Williams was indicted on two counts felony Medicaid fraud.
The indictments allege that the crimes took place between 2012 and 2018.
In February, the state Legislative Auditor released his investigation of JABA. The indictments filed today, while slim on details, do seem to mirror the findings of that investigation.
The auditors found that employees had recorded nearly 800 hours they didn’t work; that JABA submitted more than $1 million in bills directly to Medicaid instead of to the state as required; and that documentation for many long-time patients was inadequate or nonexistent. To read the entire audit, scroll down.
During a four-year period between January 2012 and June 2016, JABA submitted more than 275,000 claims to the state for reimbursement under Medicaid, totaling more than $18 million. Almost 20 percent of those claims, totaling about $2.6 million, were rejected. That is a high rate of rejection, and that is what triggered the audit, the auditors wrote.
Another investigation has been conducted by the state Department of Health, which subsequently began moving this spring to shut JABA down.
The department issued a letter to JABA, excluding them from participation in the state’s Medicaid program; the department is terminating its agreement with JABA; and the state will not renew JABA’s license when it comes up for renewal next month. To read that story, click here.
Last summer, state Medicaid Fraud investigators arrested seven JABA employees. To read those stories, click here and here.
Attorney General Jeff Landry issued the following statement on the case:
Today, a grand jury in the 19th JDC returned indictments against JABA Enterprises on multiple charges of Medicaid Fraud, Conspiracy to Commit Medicaid Fraud, Racketeering, Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering, Conspiracy to Commit Forgery, Money Laundering, and Filing and Maintaining False Public Records. The indictments were against JABA Enterprises as a whole, the company’s four owners, and two others. As in any criminal matter, our office will not comment on the proceedings of a case other than to say we stand ready to fulfill our prosecutorial obligations in these matters.
