River of Life directors convicted of fraud

Robert Dupont Jr., 65, and his wife, Laverne Dupont, 74, former executive directors of Joplin River of Life, were recently found guilty of health care fraud by a federal court.

Robert Dupont had a previous criminal conviction from 2002 for his role in a conspiracy to defraud the Medicare and Medicaid federal health care programs, for which he was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison. Because of that conviction he was not supposed to participate in any federal health care program, but ignored that restriction and operated five long-term residential care facilities while in prison, as well as functioned as the executive director of Joplin River of Life - a not-for-profit organization he had founded shortly before going to federal prison.

Between Sept. 5, 2003, and Nov. 6, 2006, Joplin River of Life received approximately $735,125 in Medicaid funds that Robert Dupont controlled while he was excluded from participation in the Missouri Medicaid program. Between Aug. 20, 2004, and Oct. 5, 2006, Robert Dupont fraudulently received about $51,000 in wages paid by the Missouri Medicaid program to Joplin River of Life, despite being excluded from receiving such payments.

Between Jan. 1, 2003, and Dec. 31, 2006, Laverne Dupont received about $170,000 in wages from Joplin River of Life.

Laverne Dupont conspired with her husband to conceal his operation and control of the organization. The Duponts also tried to conceal the employment of their daughter and co-defendant, Kelley Wheeler, 47, Joplin. Wheeler, also known as Kelley Liveoak, was excluded from receiving federal program payments to cover salary, expenses or fringe benefits because of her prior criminal conviction. Wheeler pleaded guilty and was sentenced on Feb. 23, 2010, to three years of probation and ordered to pay $3,752 in restitution.

The Duponts face a sentence of as many as 15 years in federal prison without parole.[[In-content Ad]]