A Missouri man, Jamie P. McNamara, 50, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for leading a large-scale health care fraud scheme that involved submitting over $174 million in false claims to Medicare. The sentencing took place on October 23, 2025, as announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
Court documents revealed that McNamara operated several laboratories in Louisiana and Texas. These labs acquired doctors’ orders for genetic testing through telemarketers and call centers that persuaded Medicare beneficiaries to undergo unnecessary tests. The orders were signed by telemedicine doctors who had not treated or consulted with the patients and did not follow up after testing. To obtain these orders, McNamara paid illegal kickbacks and bribes disguised as legitimate contracts.
To avoid detection by Medicare and law enforcement, McNamara shifted billing among his laboratories and concealed his ownership by using family members’ names on official documents. In about 18 months, the labs submitted more than $174 million in claims and received over $55 million in reimbursements from Medicare. Authorities previously seized several luxury vehicles from McNamara along with more than $7 million from bank accounts.
While awaiting trial, McNamara violated bond conditions by fleeing from an unrelated arrest and removing his ankle monitor, which led to his detention.
U.S. District Judge Darrel J. Papillion imposed the maximum sentence of 10 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release upon completion of the term. McNamara was also ordered to pay more than $55 million in restitution, a mandatory special assessment fee of $100, and forfeit the previously seized $7 million.
“With this significant sentence, Judge Papillion showed that white collar criminals do not get special treatment,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “Medicare fraud targets vulnerable populations, and our office will continue seeking just punishment for business owners and professionals who abuse this crucial trust-based system to steal taxpayer dollars.”
“Our health care system depends on honest billing and legal compliance. This defendant betrayed that trust, exploiting enrollees and draining millions from a system meant to help them,” said Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to expose fraud and hold violators of the health care laws accountable.”
“The FBI respects the Court’s decision to sentence Mr. McNamara to the maximum allowed by law considering his complete and total disrespect for the system and the patients he was entrusted to serve,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Tapp of the FBI New Orleans Field Office. “The FBI is committed to working with our partners like the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to expose fraudulent schemes like this one that steal from the American people and vital systems like Medicare.”
The case was investigated by HHS-OIG and the FBI.
Prosecution was led by Assistant Chief Justin M. Woodard and Trial Attorney Kelly Z. Walters from the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Moses from the Eastern District of Louisiana.
The Justice Department’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force program has charged more than 5,800 defendants since its inception in March 2007 across nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts; collectively these cases involve over $30 billion billed fraudulently to federal programs or private insurers according to www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
