Patrick Britton-Harr, a 41-year-old man from Charleston, South Carolina, has been charged in two major fraud schemes—one involving government healthcare funds and another involving private jet customers. Authorities say he cheated both the Medicare system and individual consumers out of millions of dollars for his own personal gain.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Britton-Harr ran a company named Provista Health that provided COVID-19 testing services to nursing home residents nationwide. But according to federal officials, that service was not what it seemed. Instead of just offering COVID tests, his company reportedly submitted bills to Medicare for much more expensive respiratory panel tests, known as RPP tests.
These tests are designed to detect many respiratory illnesses, but officials say they were often not needed, never ordered by doctors, and in some cases, not even performed. Alarmingly, some tests were billed for people who had already died. Investigators say over $15 million in false claims were submitted to Medicare, and the program paid more than $5 million in return.
Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, called the alleged acts an abuse of a public health crisis, stating that Britton-Harr exploited Medicare to enrich himself.
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Jet Club Members Tricked Out of Millions
Britton-Harr’s fraudulent activity didn’t stop with Medicare. Authorities say he also created a private jet membership company called AeroVanti Inc. Through this company, he offered people a luxurious-sounding deal: pay up to $150,000 upfront and become a “Top Gun” member, with the promise of booking private jet flights and owning part of five aircraft.
Nearly 100 members joined and paid a total of around $15 million. But instead of using that money to buy jets, investigators allege that Britton-Harr used the funds on himself. The money was allegedly used to purchase yachts and jewelry, as well as to pay for personal living costs, including renting a home near Tampa, Florida.
To hide what he had done, officials say Britton-Harr even applied for a $1.5 million loan to buy one of the planes he had already claimed to have purchased with member funds—without telling the lender the truth.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, condemned the fraud, noting that Britton-Harr not only misused taxpayer-funded healthcare programs but also betrayed people who trusted him with their money.
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William J. DelBagno, Special Agent in Charge at the FBI’s Baltimore office, said Britton-Harr’s crimes showed a “man with no moral compass” driven by greed. Maureen R. Dixon from the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) emphasized how damaging such fraud is to public healthcare. Meanwhile, Greg Thompson from the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General (DOT-OIG) called the aviation fraud part of a “staggering” scam.
Facing Multiple Federal Charges
Britton-Harr has been formally charged with five counts of healthcare fraud and one count of money laundering for the Medicare scheme. For the jet club scheme, he faces six counts of wire fraud. Each wire fraud count carries a possible maximum sentence of 20 years, and each healthcare and money laundering count could mean up to 10 years if convicted.
The investigations were led by the FBI, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (DOT-OIG). Prosecuting the case are Trial Attorneys David Peters and Chris Wenger from the Justice Department’s Fraud Section, joined by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew P. Phelps and Ari D. Evans from Maryland.
Although the evidence appears serious, it’s important to remember that an indictment is not proof of guilt. Patrick Britton-Harr is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
