Oakland County Woman Convicted in $1.4 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

Mary Smettler-Bolton, a 71-year-old lady from Oakland County, was found guilty of participating in a Medicare kickback conspiracy that cost the program an astounding $1.4 million.

Evidence presented in court revealed that Smettler-Bolton was involved in a scam in which she directed Medicare beneficiaries to different home health agencies in the Metro Detroit region. These recommendations were trades rather than deeds of goodwill, and she openly enriched herself by accepting unlawful bribes in exchange. The Department of Justice claims that over the course of four years, the co-conspirators in this fraudulent behavior caused a sizable loss for Medicare.

There are harsh penalties for such actions; Smettler-Bolton might spend up to five years behind bars for the conspiracy allegation. Furthermore, a violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The court’s details about the statutory criteria and sentencing guidelines indicate that these are serious matters. March 3, 2025 is the date of her sentencing.

The Criminal Division of the Justice Department, the FBI Detroit Field Office, and the HHS-OIG worked together to make the case public. Nicole M. Argentieri, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, has addressed the matter by stressing the need of bringing individuals who try to defraud government healthcare programs accountable. Smettler-Bolton and other individuals implicated in health care fraud have been charged by the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, which operates in several federal districts and has resulted in billions of dollars in invoiced charges to Medicare.

This case is being prosecuted by Ryan Elsey and Shankar Ramamurthy of the Fraud Section’s Health Care Fraud Unit. In keeping with the larger effort by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the HHS-OIG to take firm action against fraudulent schemes, the Unit continues to prioritize healthcare fraud.

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