Ind. Lawyer Charged With 28 Counts of Insurance Fraud

An Indiana lawyer is charged with submitting unauthorized claims to a health insurer, according to the Associated Press.
Karon Perkins, 44, of Columbus, Ind., was charged with 28 counts of insurance fraud for allegedly claiming to work for a company that was actually a client of hers and then submitting health insurance claims.

Columbus police have issued a warrant for her arrest on the Class D felony charges, each punishable by six months to three years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.

Perkins has been a lawyer in private practice in Columbus for 20 years and is a public defender in Indianapolis. Perkins, an attorney for 20 years, is a public defender in Indianapolis and practices law in Columbus, about 50 miles south.

Perkins, who wasn’t reached for comment by the AP, told a client she had a stroke and a heart attack and had no health insurance. The client, William F. Brown, asked his employer, AMT, to add Perkins as an employee so she could be covered, according to court documents.

Perkins later added her daughter to the policy, according to Brown, and she asked him to lie about her employment with the company if asked by the health insurer, the Southeastern Indiana Health Organization.