An Amory native and former Ole Miss football player will spend more than 16 years in prison for his role in a major Medicare fraud scheme.
On Friday, Joel “Rufus” French, 47, was sentenced to 196 months in prison for the part he played in a years-long scheme to defraud the Medicare and the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) out of nearly $200 million. He did this by selling patient information and sham doctors’ orders for orthotic braces that patients did not want or need.
A Florida jury convicted French of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and conspiracy to offer, pay, solicit, and receive kickbacks in February. He faced a maximum penalty of 20 years behind bars, but was ultimately given a lesser sentence.
“Fueled by lies, bribes, and overseas telemarketers, this corrupt…
Scammers capitalize on major disasters or heart-wrenching stories to solicit donations for non-existent charities. They often use names that are very similar to well-known, legitimate organizations to confuse donors.