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Florida fraud case hits Medicare onerous
More than half of $6.5B in Medicare fraud tied to Florida; it might be displaying up in your assertion
- Dr. Helen Boerman, as soon as a frontrunner at Remnant Fellowship Church, used the cash to fund a lavish life-style, together with a $7 million residence, prosecutors stated.
- She was sentenced to three.5 years in jail and ordered to pay practically $7 million in restitution.
- Boerman submitted about $11 million in false claims via her Brentwood Eye Care enterprise from 2021 to 2024, court docket information present.
A Brentwood physician who as soon as served as a frontrunner on the late Gwen Shamblin Lara’s Weigh Down Ministries and Remnant Fellowship Church purchased a $7 million residence whereas illegally taking tens of millions of {dollars} from TennCare and Medicare, court docket information present.
Dr. Helen Boerman, 48, pleaded responsible in May to submitting about $11 million in false claims from 2021 via 2024 via her Brentwood Eye Care enterprise to TennCare, Medicare and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. The optometrist, who specialised in treating dry eye situations, obtained $6.9 million in reimbursements earlier than the fraud was detected, stated U.S. Attorney Braden H. Boucek, with the Middle District of Tennessee.
During Boerman’s Sept. 10 sentencing listening to in federal court docket in Nashville, a number of members of Remnant Fellowship supported her within the viewers. The Brentwood church gained world consideration as the topic of the HBO documentary “The Way Down,” targeted on founder Shamblin Lara’s Weigh Down Workshop weight-reduction plan program. It emphasised weight reduction as a strategy to show dedication to God.
Boerman and her husband joined the church in 2002 and have been featured as leaders on the church’s web site in pictures and a Weigh Down TV present episode.
On March 15, 2019, Boerman joined Shamblin Lara on a panel filmed for an episode of Christian speak present “You Can Overcome” known as “How to Have Healthy Babies.” During the present, produced by Remnant Fellowship TV and accessible on YouTube, Boerman stated following the tenets of the church allowed her to conceive her third youngster at age 40.
“I got introduced to Remnant and realized if you make God first, everything else falls into place. Now I feel like we have a dream life,” she stated in the course of the present.
Boerman and her husband, married for 21 years, continued to look on Remnant’s management web page via a minimum of 2025, however they’re now not referenced on the web site. Attempts to achieve the church Sept. 16 and Sept. 17 have been unsuccessful.
Chief U.S. District Judge William L. Campbell, Jr. sentenced Boerman Sept. 14 to three.5 years in jail after she pleaded responsible to authorities well being care program fraud. She was additionally ordered to pay practically $7 million in restitution.
Prosecutors say Brentwood eye physician had ‘lavish life-style’
Boerman was convicted in federal court docket of submitting “false, fictitious or fraudulent claims” via Brentwood Eye Care over greater than three years whereas she was lively with Remnant Fellowship, ending in late 2024, court docket paperwork state.
Boerman “submitted claims seeking reimbursement for dates of service where patients did not in fact receive services and for wound care products that she had not actually purchased or used because she split wound care products intended for single use,” the U.S. Attorney’s workplace stated in an announcement.
Prosecutors argued that as a result of Boerman held a place of belief, her betrayal is deepened and he or she ought to face extra jail time. They claimed she had no monetary hardships whereas faking claims to get cash meant for the aged and infirm and was motivated by greed, in accordance with a court docket submitting by prosecutors.
“At its core, the conduct in this case represents a scheme by defendant to steal money to fund a lavish lifestyle, at the expense of American taxpayers,” prosecutors argued, when pushing for extra jail time. Prosecutors famous of their forfeiture movement that Boerman stashed tens of millions of {dollars} she acquired via false claims into varied financial institution accounts.
In 2022, Boerman wired greater than $5.2 million to place towards the title of the $7 million Brentwood residence she shares together with her husband, in accordance with Special Agent Kenneth Barrett with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General. The residence, a brief drive from downtown Brentwood, is situated on practically 3 acres in a gated group and has six bedrooms, six full baths and two half-baths, in accordance with property information.
In 2023, she additionally deposited greater than $4.6 million into an funding account, the agent famous in paperwork.
Prosecutors did not elaborate on different particulars of what they known as her “lavish lifestyle,” however many paperwork remained sealed.
Doctor’s protection crew sought leniency for group service
Boerman’s protection crew declined to remark Sept. 15 and Sept. 16, however in court docket filings, they referred to the physician as a “steadfast pillar within her local community.” Boerman did not reply calls to her residence on Sept. 17.
Boerman asserted that she handled some sufferers with out gathering cash, whereas prosecutors argued she collected cash from some sufferers she by no means handled.
“Dr. Boerman, along with her family, are heavily involved in community service through their local church,” the protection argued in court docket paperwork, with out naming her church. “Dr. Boerman and Chris provide support and guidance to other families in their community facing a variety of struggles, including addiction, marital trouble, financial difficulties, and medical issues.”
Her attorneys requested for leniency, pointing to the physician’s good deeds.
“Dr. Boerman acknowledges that she made grave mistakes,” however she additionally supplied professional bono eye care “to those in need, including individuals who do not have health insurance or have financial constraints,” her attorneys argued.
The decide allowed Boerman to return residence, in accordance with the judgment, however she should report back to jail on Jan. 4, 2027. After she serves her sentence and is launched, the physician will stay on supervised launch for a yr.
In 2021, Shamblin Lara, her husband Joe Lara — an actor identified for taking part in Tarzan — and 5 different Remnant leaders died when their Cessna 500 aircraft crashed in Percy Priest Lake minutes after takeoff. Remnant is at the moment led by Elizabeth Kaufmann, Shamblin Lara’s daughter, in accordance with the church’s web site.
Beth Warren covers well being care and will be reached at [email protected] or on X at @BethWarrenCJ.
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https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/williamson/2026/09/21/remnant-fellowship-weigh-down-ministry-leader-sentenced-fraud-gwen-shamblin/91782090007/
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