The United States has filed a complaint under the False Claims Act (FCA) against Absolute Physical & Aquatic Therapy, LLC; Chipley Physical Therapy, LLC; Ruben Laurel; and Lorrie Laurel. The complaint alleges that the Defendants billed the Government for services that Defendant Lorrie Laurel, a physical therapist, performed while she was abroad. Defendant Chipley Physical Therapy, LLC (CPT) provides outpatient physical and aquatic therapy services across the Florida panhandle in Chipley, Marianna, and Bonifay, and is owned and operated by Defendants Ruben and Lorrie Laurel. Defendant Absolute Physical & Aquatic Therapy (APAT) is a physical therapy billing company owned and operated by Defendant Ruben Laurel.
The government’s complaint alleges Defendants knowingly submitted false claims for payment in violation of the FCA by billing the government for services while Defendant Lorrie Laurel was out of the country and on cruises in Mexico, Jamacia, Aruba, and the Bahamas between July 2019 and March 2024. More specifically, the complaint alleges Defendants submitted 613 claims for payment to the United States for services Defendant Lorrie Laurel allegedly performed at CPT while she was abroad.