A Texas counselor was convicted of stealing $26 million from the military’s health plan and paying kickbacks to troops and families, prosecutors say.
Story Highlights
- A Fort Worth jury convicted Kevin D. Curry on nine federal counts tied to TRICARE fraud.
- Prosecutors say Curry paid more than $5.5 million in kickbacks to recruit patients.
- False and unnecessary bills for brain-stimulation therapy drove more than $26 million in claims.
- Justice Department officials say the case protects military families and taxpayers.
Jury Verdict: Nine Counts For A $26 Million Scheme
A federal jury in Fort Worth convicted Kevin Darnell Curry, 64, a licensed professional counselor from Frisco, Texas, on nine counts tied to a $26 million health care fraud, kickback, and money laundering scheme aimed at the TRICARE program, which serves service members, veterans, and their families. Jurors found Curry guilty of three counts of health care fraud, three counts of offering and paying illegal health care kickbacks, and three counts of engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property, the Justice Department said.
Prosecutors said Curry owned and operated clinics in Texas and Florida that offered transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy, a brain-stimulation treatment for depression. They said he billed TRICARE for treatments that were not needed, not provided as represented, or were ineligible for reimbursement. The government said Curry used doctors’ names and credentials to push claims and built false records to support payments, which pushed total claims over $26 million to the military health plan.
Kickbacks To Lure Beneficiaries And Inflate Billing
According to the Justice Department, Curry offered and paid more than $5.5 million in illegal kickbacks to recruit active-duty service members, veterans, and their families to agree to treatment they did not qualify for, and in many cases did not receive. This model mirrors a common fraud pattern seen in federal health programs: pay people to sign up, create or inflate medical records, and bill the government plan for unnecessary or phantom services. The indictment history shows federal focus on this scheme’s kickback engine and billing tactics.
Officials said the clinics’ claim volume rose as Curry’s team pushed TMS sessions through TRICARE despite medical standards and eligibility rules. The case aligns with prior military health fraud prosecutions, where the dollar amounts and striking spending details make headlines while program auditors and agents trace billing data, referral sources, and patient files to prove intent and scope. Prosecutors framed the conviction as a message that fraud against troops and taxpayers will be found and punished.
Luxury Spending And Money Laundering Counts
The jury also convicted Curry of conducting monetary transactions with criminal proceeds. Prosecutors described how scheme profits flowed into high-end personal spending, a pattern that often appears in health care fraud cases. Media reports highlighted purchases like a gold-themed vehicle and luxury items to show where the money went, helping illustrate the scale of the theft from a program designed to serve military families. Those spending details echoed the government’s claim that billing gains were quickly laundered into lifestyle assets.
Money laundering counts typically require proof that a defendant moved funds from illegal activity into financial transactions above set thresholds. The jury’s verdict on those counts supports the allegation that Curry used the clinics’ proceeds for large purchases and transfers, once the TRICARE payments cleared. Prosecutors use these counts to seize assets and deter future schemes by hitting both the fraud and the financial flow that fuels it.
Why This Matters For Military Families And Taxpayers
TRICARE exists to care for service members, veterans, and their families. Fraud like this drains resources and can crowd out real patients in need. Every fake treatment and kickback harms trust and hikes costs that taxpayers carry. The Justice Department’s conviction sends a clear signal that targeting military health benefits carries steep penalties, and that investigators will track claims, contracts, and cash to shut down abuse. The case also supports stricter oversight and audits to prevent repeats.
🚨Office of Public Affairs | Texas Mental Health Clinic Owner Convicted in $26M Scheme to Defraud Military Health Benefits Program | United States Department of Justice
PRESS RELEASE 👇🏽https://t.co/JoEKJGT0lN
Kevin D. Curry, a 64 year old licensed professional counselor from… pic.twitter.com/QCVsPReylV
— Amy Leigh (@IAmyLeigh) September 27, 2026
For conservative readers, this is about basic fairness, law and order, and respect for those who serve. Medical fraud steals care from troops and families and wastes public money. Strong enforcement protects limited funds, supports program integrity, and upholds accountability. Under President Trump, agencies highlight wins like this to show that the system can work when laws are enforced and bad actors face juries. The verdict stands as a needed defense of both the Constitution’s rule of law and the military community.
Sources:
facebook.com, justice.gov, foxnews.com
