Current:Home > BackEx-West Virginia health manager scheduled for plea hearing in COVID-19 payment probe-LoTradeCoin
Ex-West Virginia health manager scheduled for plea hearing in COVID-19 payment probe
View Date:2024-12-23 19:29:05
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A former West Virginia state health office manager who was indicted on charges related to coronavirus pandemic relief payments is due to enter a plea later this month.
Timothy Priddy is set to appear in federal court on Jan. 22, a day before his trial had been scheduled to start. Federal prosecutors said he is expected to plead guilty. U.S. District Judge Thomas Johnston scheduled the hearing on Tuesday.
An indictment filed in October charged Priddy with making false statements about the payments to federal agents in August 2022 and in grand jury testimony the following month. On both occasions, Priddy knew his statements were false because he made no efforts to verify the invoices before approving them, according to the indictment.
Priddy held various manager positions with the state Bureau for Public Health’s Center for Threat Preparedness. He was promoted to deputy director in March 2021 and to director in January 2022, according to the indictment.
Prosecutors said the federal investigation was trying to determine whether one or more vendors providing COVID-19 tests and mitigation services to the state overbilled or otherwise received payment from federal funds disbursed through the state’s main health agency, the Department of Health and Human Resources. That agency was reorganized into three separate departments effective Jan. 1.
Prosecutors said the vendor reported the results of about 49,000 COVID-19 tests between October 2020 and March 2022 but submitted invoices reflecting the cost of about 518,000 test kits. Despite the discrepancy, Priddy certified at least 13 of the invoices totaling about $34 million, they said.
The indictment did not name the vendor but said the company was from out of state and provided test kits, laboratory analysis and community testing events throughout West Virginia.
The health agency had said previously that a contract with the company for diagnostic testing services ended in October 2022 and that the agency cooperated fully with federal investigators.
According to its contract, the vendor was required to provide nasal swab diagnostic testing for COVID-19 and upload test results immediately. The tests were for specific DHHR programs and initiatives, including residential youth facilities and hospice agencies, locations such as pharmacies where people go to get tested for COVID-19, and kits for emergency medical services workers who were required to be tested frequently.
Vendors contracted by the state were required to report the test results so that officials would have accurate information on the number of active COVID-19 infections and geographical areas experiencing outbreaks, the indictment said.
Nearly 8,900 people have died from COVID-19 in West Virginia since March 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
veryGood! (93)
Related
- Glen Powell responds to rumor that he could replace Tom Cruise in 'Mission: Impossible'
- Trial begins for financial executive in insider trading case tied to taking Trump media firm public
- Why Darren Criss Says He Identifies as Culturally Queer
- 67-year-old woman killed, 14 people injured after SUV crashes through New Mexico thrift store
- Suicides in the US military increased in 2023, continuing a long-term trend
- 2-year-old child dies, another child hurt after wind sends bounce house flying in Arizona
- Kendrick Lamar drops brutal Drake diss track 'Euphoria' amid feud: Listen
- Arkansas’ elimination of ‘X’ for sex on driver’s licenses spurs lawsuit
- Wildfire map: Thousands of acres burn near New Jersey-New York border; 1 firefighter dead
- US drug control agency will move to reclassify marijuana in a historic shift, AP sources say
Ranking
- Mike Tyson impresses crowd during workout ahead of Jake Paul fight
- LeBron James looks toward intriguing NBA offseason after Lakers eliminated in playoffs
- Apple juice lot recalled due to high arsenic levels; product sold at Publix, Kroger, more
- Jason Kelce Proves He Needs No Pointers on Being a Girl Dad to 3 Daughters With Kylie Kelce
- Miami Marlins hiring Los Angeles Dodgers first base coach Clayton McCullough as manager
- 'New York Undercover' cast to reunite on national tour, stars talk trailblazing '90s cop drama
- Trial begins for financial executive in insider trading case tied to taking Trump media firm public
- Emily Blunt Reveals What Taylor Swift Told Her Daughter That Almost Made Her Faint
Recommendation
-
Contained, extinguished and mopping up: Here’s what some common wildfire terms mean
-
Feds testing ground beef sold where dairy cows were stricken by bird flu
-
Why Brian Kelly's feels LSU is positioned to win national title without Jayden Daniels
-
Not all Kentucky Derby winners were great: Looking back at 12 forgettable winners
-
DWTS' Gleb Savchenko Shares Why He Ended Brooks Nader Romance Through Text Message
-
Pro-Palestinian protests spread, get more heated as schools' reactions differ
-
Drew Barrymore tells VP Kamala Harris 'we need you to be Momala,' draws mixed reactions
-
A former Naval officer will challenge Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz in upcoming GOP primary