A member who participated in a scheme to submit false medical claims to military insurance programs in exchange for unfair benefits was sentenced Friday to 30 months in prison.
Former Chief Petty Officer Christopher Toups, 46, pleaded guilty to conspiring with several others to deprive the Trauma Veterans Group Life Insurance Program of approximately $2 million.
Prosecutors said the defendants fraudulently falsely claimed injuries and disabilities by falsifying or exaggerating them.
Mr. Toops personally received about $400,000, more than anyone else who participated in the program. Prosecutors say the suspect actively recruited other Navy sailors to submit false claims and received a portion of their pay. The prosecutor’s memo alleges that Toops was “involved in virtually all of the fraudulent claims.”
A total of 10 defendants were indicted by the Federal Prosecutor’s Office.
They include a Navy doctor who approved false claims and received kickbacks of more than $180,000. He pleaded guilty earlier this year and is awaiting sentencing.
A nurse who was married to Toups during the program falsified her medical records to support her false injury claim. She has also pleaded guilty and her sentencing is scheduled for later this month. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also said several defendants are stationed on-site as part of Coronado’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Expeditionary Support Unit 1.
