Arizona couple sentenced in AHCCCS fraud scheme at East Valley clinic

A judge sentenced a New River couple to years in prison after they were convicted of stealing $12 million from the state’s Medicaid program and spending it on property and luxury vehicles.

Thvoughn Lynden Curry, 34, was sentenced to 88 months in federal prison, and Alexis Daneen Curry, 34, was sentenced to 70 months, according to the Arizona district of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. They also were ordered to pay about $12 million in restitution to the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System and will be under three years of probation after their release.

The couple defrauded AHCCCS through 1 Family Clinic, LLC, “their purported outpatient behavioral health clinic in Mesa,” the Arizona district of the U.S. Attorney’s Office stated in a release. They were convicted at trial of three counts of healthcare fraud, eight counts of transactional money laundering and one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud.

"Fraud on this scale is not just a financial crime, it directly harms the vulnerable populations AHCCCS exists to serve,” Roberta Harrison, interim director of AHCCCS, said.

The evidence at trial showed that the Currys spent much of the money they received from AHCCCS on themselves. They purchased properties and luxury vehicles, including a 2019 Lamborghini Urus for more than $300,000, according to the release.

Mesa Police Chief Dan Butler said the conviction of the couple occurred because several law enforcement agencies collaborated.

 "Complex investigations often extend beyond the jurisdiction of a single agency, and this case highlights the importance of sharing resources, information and expertise,” Butler said.

IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the probe and received assistance from the Mesa Police Department and AHCCCS-Office of Inspector General. The Arizona district of the U.S. Attorney’s Office handled the prosecution.

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