A nurse practitioner convicted of 16 federal charges for her role in a massive medical fraud investigation labeled Operation Brace was sentenced to prison Tuesday, Aug. 9. Her trial on the charges was in Augusta’s federal district court.
Sherley Beaufils, 44, of Conyers was sentenced to 87 months in prison, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney David H. Estes. Also Tuesday, Judge Dudley H. Bowen Jr. also imposed restitution of nearly $1.64 million.
According to court documents, Beaufils was convicted of participating in an illegal kickback conspiracy, health care fraud, false statements related to health care, and aggravated identity theft.
Beaufils contended at trial she was duped into participating in the fraud. She thought she was only reviewing files of doctor’s visits and the prescription for durable medical equipment, she testified. She was recruited by Royal Physician Network, a telemedicine company and Envision-It-Perfect a medical billing company.
But prosecutors in a sentencing memorandum wrote that Beaufils was an active participant in the fraud.
“Sherley Beaufils let greed take the wheel when she raked in massive profits by ordering unnecessary medical devices for patients she never examined or spoke to,” Estes said in the news release. “She targeted the elderly and medically vulnerable with her schemes, and is now being held accountable.”
Beaufils signed fake medical records in which she falsely claimed she provided examinations of those patients, and then in exchange for money, she created orders for orthotic braces for patients she never met or spoke with – including a knee brace for an amputee, and a back brace for a recently deceased patient – and for other durable medical equipment. Beaufils’ fraudulent orders were then sold to companies to generate reimbursement from Medicare.
Sandy Hodson is a staff reporter covering courts for The Augusta Press. Reach her at sandy@theaugustapress.com.
