United States of America v. Jamie P. McNamara Indictment
In May 2024, a federal grand jury in New Orleans returned an 18-count superseding indictment against Jamie P. McNamara, 48, of Missouri, and John M. Spivey, 53, of New Orleans. The charges include conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, health care fraud, conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks, offering and paying kickbacks, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. McNamara was previously indicted in July 2022, with the latest indictment adding Spivey as a co-defendant.
According to the indictment, McNamara and Spivey operated several laboratories and orchestrated a scheme to defraud Medicare by billing for cancer and cardiovascular genetic tests that were not medically necessary and obtained through illegal kickbacks and bribes. They allegedly used aggressive telemarketing campaigns to persuade Medicare beneficiaries to consent to genetic testing. The orders for these tests were signed by telemedicine doctors who neither had prior relationships with the beneficiaries nor conducted proper consultations. Between November 2018 and July 2020, their laboratories submitted over $174 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare, receiving more than $55 million in reimbursements.
If convicted, McNamara and Spivey face significant penalties, including up to 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, and additional terms for other charges. They also face substantial fines and supervised release following any imprisonment. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana, with assistance from the Department of Justice and investigative agencies.
South Florida healthcare attorney Robyn Sztyndor was hired for her expertise with genetics and healthcare compliance. She will be assisting on the case, which is slated for August 2025.