The owner of a health care provider forged doctors’ orders and overbilled for home care by relatives to swindle $3.4 million from a government program for ailing nuclear workers, according to court documents.
Anthony Paul Breaux of Palisade pleaded guilty Thursday to health care fraud and money laundering.
Prosecutors agreed to drop seven other counts in exchange for the plea. Breaux faces up to 20 years in prison on the fraud charge and 10 years for money laundering.
Prosecutors said the scheme targeted the Labor Department’s Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation program, which provides compensation and health benefits to some workers in the Department of Energy’s nuclear weapons programs and in the uranium industry.
Breaux is scheduled to be sentenced March 16.
