By Jeff Devine, Dale County Chronicle
MONTGOMERY—An Anniston man has been sentenced to 54 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to health care fraud and aggravated identity theft tied to fraudulent Medicaid billing.
Fifty-four-year-old Hasan Jermel Pulliam was sentenced April 2 and will serve three years of supervised release following his prison term. He was also ordered to pay $718,967.20 in restitution to the Alabama Medicaid Agency. There is no parole in the federal prison system.
Pulliam, a former child and family therapist, enrolled as a provider with Alabama Medicaid in October 2018. He received referrals from medical providers that included sensitive patient information such as names, dates of birth, and Medicaid identification numbers.
Authorities said Pulliam used that information to submit fraudulent claims for counseling services that were never provided. In some cases, he used beneficiaries’ personal information without their consent, including that of minors without permission from their families.
The fraudulent activity continued through November 2023 and resulted in Medicaid paying more than $718,000 for services that were not rendered.
The Alabama Medicaid Agency’s Program Integrity Unit flagged suspicious billing activity and referred the case to the Alabama Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General for investigation.
“Health care fraud diverts limited resources away from the patients and families who depend on programs like Medicaid,” Acting U.S. Attorney Kevin Davidson said. “This sentence holds the defendant accountable for abusing his position of trust.”
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said the case underscores ongoing efforts to protect taxpayer-funded programs.
“We will continue this collaborative effort to root out fraud and ensure justice is served,” Marshall said.
Kelly Blackmon, special agent in charge at the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, said the agency remains committed to holding providers accountable who exploit federal health care programs for personal gain.
Pulliam pleaded guilty to the charges on Oct. 25, 2025. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Feil following a joint investigation by state and federal authorities.
