Attorney General Files Fraud Charges Against Metro Prosthetic Company

Oklahoma's Attorney General has filed charges of Medicaid fraud against three men of a family-owned prosthetic company.

The three are facing six counts each. The investigation began after a woman claimed she was given a used prosthetic leg, but investigators say the state was billed for a new one.

On Friday, Brandon LaFuente was arrested on these felony charges, but his father and other business partner have yet to be arrested. News 9 spoke with Brandon on Tuesday and he told us this investigation is all just a big misunderstanding.

“The last thing that we would want to do is jeopardize ourselves by filing fraudulent claims,” said Brandon.

For 40 years, Brandon says his family has owned the prosthetic business. But a five-year investigation by the Attorney General's Office into the business alleges Brandon, his father Henry LaFuente, and business partner Billy Wilkerson Jr. were actually running a three part Medicaid fraud scheme. 

“This is our tax dollars that they are stealing so we take it very seriously,” Mykel Fry, Chief of Medicaid Fraud Unit.

The investigation alleges LaFuente Prosthetics billed Medicaid for services never given, billed Medicaid for the more expensive prosthetics and gave the patient a lesser version, and billed Medicaid for new prosthetics, then gave the patient used prosthetic.

“My company is saddened and shocked by these allegations. And we are in the process of putting together our side to combat these allegations,” said Brandon.

But in the affidavit, one woman told investigators when her custom prosthetic leg wasn't fitting correctly she told Wilkerson.

Court documents say she also called a phone number found on the leg and learned that the leg wasn't custom-made to her as promised. It actually belonged to someone else before her.

The Attorney General's office says this victim is not alone, but could not give an exact number, only saying she was one of many.

The Attorney General's Office believes LaFuente Prosthetics was reimbursed more than $30,000 in fraudulent claims.

If convicted, the defendants each face up to 18 years in prison.