Two former employees of Life Touch LLC, a substance abuse treatment provider in Kinston, North Carolina, have pleaded guilty to participating in a scheme that involved paying kickbacks to Medicaid patients and committing tax violations. Keke Komeko Johnson, the company’s Compliance Director from Pikeville, and Francine Sims Super, an office manager from Kinston, admitted their roles in the illegal activities.
According to court documents, Johnson, Super, and others used Medicaid reimbursement funds to buy over $1 million in gift cards. These purchases were sometimes routed through personal bank accounts. The gift cards were distributed weekly to patients as incentives for attending services. Over four years, employees at Life Touch LLC paid patients based on how many days per week they attended services. The more frequently a patient attended, the more money Life Touch LLC received from Medicaid.
Johnson also made false statements to Medicaid auditors during the scheme. Super created false documents to support their actions.
Court records show that both Johnson and Super received kickbacks from 1st Choice Healthcare Services, LLC—a laboratory company hired by Life Touch LLC for drug testing services—but did not report this income on their tax returns.
U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle commented on the case: “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our federal and local law enforcement partners will continue to pursue crooks who prey upon America’s generous social service safety net. These two fraudsters not only targeted federal tax dollars but also took advantage of vulnerable individuals who were trying to turn their lives around. The more kickbacks that they paid to vulnerable addicts, the more they were able to help the company steal from Medicaid,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “This case leaves no doubt: Medicaid kickback thieves face serious consequences.”
Sentencing is scheduled for November 2025. Johnson faces up to 11 years in prison; Super faces up to 6 years.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation division, and North Carolina Attorney General’s Office – Medicaid Investigations Division. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tasha Gardner and Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. Gilmore are prosecuting the case.
