Feds: Washington woman ran drug treatment clinics as 'cash business'

A federal grand jury indicted a Washington County woman on charges of unlawfully dispensing drugs and health care fraud.

Federal prosecutors said Monday that Jennifer Hess, the owner of Washington-based Redirections Treatment Advocates LLC, conspired with five physicians to illegally dispense the drug-treatment medication buprenorphine and fraudulently submit Medicare and Medicaid insurance claims to cover the costs of the drug. Redirections Treatment Advocates has offices in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

U.S. Attorney Scott Brady said Hess “operated a network of addiction treatment clinics, which could be helping those in their hour of greatest need, as a cash business and then committed health care fraud.” Hess, 49, of Washington said she didn't have any comment Monday when reached by phone at her Washington office.

Hess faces up to 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine on a charge of conspiracy to unlawfully dispense buprenorphine; up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on a single count of health care fraud; and up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each of 45 counts charging her with unlawfully dispensing buprenorphine.

The indictment is the eleventh filed in Western Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia since Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the formation of the Opioid Fraud and Abuse Detection Unit, Brady's office said.

Madasyn Czebiniak is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at 724-226-4702, mczebiniak@tribweb.com or via Twitter @maddyczebstrib.