JACKSON, MI (WLNS) – Business as usual ground to a halt while special agents executed a search warrant at a business in downtown Jackson Wednesday morning. Investigators from the U.S. Inspector General’s Office say they were alerted to allegations of healthcare fraud at Anesthesia Business Consultants on Michigan Ave.
Federal agents from Pennsylvania, New York and Michigan were on scene Wednesday, which is enough to make anyone nervous.
But one former employee of the business says she wasn’t at all surprised to hear federal agents have raided the company.
“It’s a ticking time bomb, when is it going to happen and when I heard this I was just like, ’bout time!” said Sadie Mansfield, former employee, Anesthesia Business Consultants.
Around 9 a.m. Wednesday employees at Anesthesia Business Consultants were greeted with federal agents at their door.
Soon after workers were asked to leave their desks and go home while special agents searched through the company’s records.
“Today we executed a search warrant at Anesthesia Billing Consultants. We had allegations of healthcare fraud including but not limited to the Medicare program the Medicaid program and some private insurance companies,” said Joseph Napolitano, assistant special agent in charge.
But Sadie Mansfield among other workers say this has been a long time coming.
Another former worker even said the company’s business practices are ‘shady.’
Regardless, the agents say they plan on doing a lot of digging.
“We have about 20 agents and 10 computer forensic examiners. Computer forensic examiners are imaging computers, laptops, the server, and the agents are searching some of the offices,” Joseph Napolitano, assistant special agent in charge.
Anesthesia Business Consultants told 6 News they have no comment on the matter.
Federal agents remind the public just because they’re searching doesn’t mean they’ll find anything.
“It’s just an allegation at this point. We will review the evidence and see where it goes from there,” said Napolitano.
6 News received a statement from Anesthesia Business Consultants as our story was airing. Anesthesia Business Consultants says they’re cooperating with the search warrant and expect to have a full staff in Thursday.
The Inspector General’s Office says the investigation will likely take about a week.
Stay with 6 News for updates on this story.
