Montgomery, Ala. (WDNews) — A former Medicaid provider from Anniston has been sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to health care fraud and aggravated identity theft, according to Alabama officials.
On April 2, 2026, 54-year-old Hasan Jermel Pulliam was sentenced to 54 months in prison. The court also ordered three years of supervised release following his sentence and required him to pay $718,967.20 in restitution to the Alabama Medicaid Agency. There is no parole in the federal system.
“This sentence reflects our commitment to protecting taxpayer resources and upholding the rule of law in Alabama,” said Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall. “I commend our Medicaid Fraud Control Unit for their excellent work on this case, and I thank our federal partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office and HHS-OIG for their collaboration in holding Mr. Pulliam accountable for defrauding Alabama taxpayers of over $700,000. We will continue this collaborative effort to root out fraud and ensure justice is served.”
“Health care fraud diverts limited resources away from the patients and families who depend on programs like Medicaid,” said Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson. “This sentence holds the defendant accountable for abusing his position of trust and sending false claims to obtain money he was not entitled to receive. Our office will continue to work closely with our federal and state partners to protect taxpayer-funded health care programs from fraud and abuse.”
“Health care providers who fraudulently bill Medicaid for services not rendered and exploit personal information for their own gain will be held accountable,” said Kelly Blackmon, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to safeguard the integrity of Medicaid and other federally funded health care programs.”
According to court records, Pulliam enrolled as a Medicaid provider in October 2018 while working as a child and family therapist. After enrolling, he received referrals that included patients’ personal identifying information such as names, dates of birth, and Medicaid identification numbers.
Investigators said Pulliam submitted fraudulent claims for counseling services that were never provided. In doing so, he used Medicaid beneficiaries’ identifying information without consent, including cases involving minors without family authorization. The fraudulent activity continued through November 2023.
The Alabama Medicaid Agency’s Program Integrity Unit first identified irregular billing patterns and referred the case to the Alabama Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.
Authorities said the false claims resulted in payments totaling $718,967.20.
Pulliam pleaded guilty to the charges on Oct. 25, 2025. The case was investigated by the Alabama Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud Control Unit in coordination with federal partners. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Feil prosecuted the case.
