A Georgia woman who faked being a licensed physician’s assistant has been sentenced to federal prison for health care fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.
Theresa Pickering, 55, was sentenced this week to nearly three years in prison for treating patients at a family practice in Norcross, Georgia. She diagnosed illnesses, ordered diagnostic tests, and prescribed drugs to patients, none of which was allowed under the law. The office she worked at filed approximately $147,000 in fraudulent claims for reimbursement to Medicare and private insurance companies.
“Pickering previously served prison time for similar conduct,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Then in blatant disregard for the law and safety, she knowingly placed patients at significant risk by again posing as a licensed medical provider.”
According to Buchanan, Pickering was hired as a licensed physician’s assistant at the practice in September 2019. But she was not a licensed physician’s assistant in Georgia at that time, and she hadn’t been licensed in any state since March 2014.
Pickering previously served a prison sentence for a 2015 fraud and narcotics case related to her illegally practicing as a physician’s assistant in Mississippi. She then moved to Georgia, where she was hired again by the family practice in Norcross.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and Office of Personnel Management, Office of the Inspector General.
Pickering’s prison sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay nearly $50,000 in restitution.
Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta, said that Pickering continued to endanger patients “through theft and lies.”
“This sentence will serve as a reminder to others that the FBI will not tolerate healthcare providers who engage in schemes that defraud the industry and put innocent patients at risk,” Farley said.
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