South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson today announced “Operation Border War,” a multi-jurisdictional effort that has exposed Medicaid fraud schemes stealing over $21 million from South Carolina taxpayers. This crackdown, part of a larger national healthcare fraud initiative by the Justice Department, has led to criminal charges against nine individuals.
The announcement, made in Charlotte alongside federal and North Carolina officials, detailed how these schemes allegedly defrauded the South Carolina and North Carolina Medicaid Programs of millions of dollars. The broader national takedown involved charges against 324 defendants linked to more than $14.6 billion in alleged fraud.
Federal criminal charges were filed in the Western District of North Carolina against eight individuals accused of conspiring to defraud the South Carolina Medicaid Program (SC Medicaid). They allegedly filed false and fraudulent reimbursement claims for behavioral health care services that were either inflated or never provided. Investigators allege that these individuals bought and sold personal identifying information (PII) of SC Medicaid beneficiaries, submitting claims for patients who were unaware their information was being used and never received services.
Seven individuals face charges including conspiracy to commit health care fraud and to pay and receive illegal kickbacks:
- Donald Calvin Saunders, 62, of Charlotte
- Vanessa Ragin-Boatright, 59, of Manning, South Carolina
- Dajuan Strickland, 47, of Charlotte and Buffalo, New York
- Cynthia Jenkins Harris, 60, of Elgin, South Carolina
- Latarsa Hitchcock, 56, of Jacksonville, North Carolina
- Stephanie Corbett, 59, of Jonesboro, Georgia
- Karen McClary, 51, of Kingstree, South Carolina
Additionally, David Corey Hill, 54, of Concord, North Carolina, was charged separately with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and money laundering, and has agreed to plead guilty.
According to charging documents, from 2017 to 2024, the defendants allegedly conspired to defraud the SC Medicaid program by submitting fraudulent claims through a network of companies. It is alleged that Saunders orchestrated the scheme, assisting others in creating billing or behavioral health companies to file fraudulent claims using purchased PII. Some PII was allegedly obtained by the South Carolina Attorney General’s Vulnerable Adults and Medicaid Provider Fraud unit through the creation of fictitious Medicaid beneficiaries, which were then sold to co-conspirators. The indictment also alleges bribes and kickbacks were paid, often disguised as legitimate expenses. Many National Provider Identification (NPI) numbers used were from professionals who were unknowingly tricked into providing their credentials.
If convicted, the defendants face significant prison sentences, with maximum statutory sentences ranging from five to twenty years depending on the specific charges.
Sign up for our Sunday Spectator. Delivered to your inbox every Sunday, with all the news from the week.
