A Georgia chiropractor has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud for his role in a scheme that involved billing Medicare millions of dollars for over-the-counter COVID-19 tests that were neither requested nor eligible for reimbursement, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
Steven D. Peyroux, 56, of Canton, Georgia, entered his guilty plea on January 15, 2026. Prosecutors said Peyroux conspired with others to pay and receive kickbacks in exchange for obtaining Medicare beneficiary information from across the country. This information included names and Medicare identification numbers, as well as fabricated recordings of individuals posing as beneficiaries requesting OTC COVID-19 tests. The group then used this data to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare.
To avoid detection by Medicare authorities, Peyroux and his co-conspirators recruited multiple providers into the scheme and instructed them to sign false agreements and make misleading statements during audits.
As part of his plea agreement, Peyroux agreed to pay more than $6.5 million in restitution to Medicare.
Sentencing is scheduled before United States District Judge Wendy B. Vitter on May 14, 2026. At sentencing, Peyroux faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison followed by up to three years of supervised release. He may also be fined up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss related to the offense under federal law.
United States Attorney David I. Courcelle stated: “U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General in investigating this matter.” Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas D. Moses and Trial Attorney Kelly Z. Walters are prosecuting the case.
