Unlicensed woman acts as physician’s assistant, gets federal jail time

ATLANTA, Ga. (WDEF) — One woman who falsely acted as a licensed physician’s assistant now faces federal prison time, according to the DOJ.

On Tuesday, a judge ruled that 55-year-old Theresa Pickering will face two years and nine months in prison. She will then have three years of supervised release.

The court ordered her to pay over $48,000 in restitution as well.

The DOJ said insurers lost roughly $147,000 due to her actions.

Pickering moved to Georgia in September of 2019. She then got a job as a licensed physician’s assistant at a Norcross-based family practice.

The DOJ said she treated patients in a variety of ways, and prescribed drugs to patients. She was not authorized to do this by law, since she was not licensed. She was also excluded from federal health care programs.

In addition, Pickering gave prescriptions for controlled substances under the doctor’s name, without his permission.

She caused the firm to submit at least $147,000 in fraudulent claims for reimbursement to insurance companies, the DOJ said.

Pickering previously served jail time for similar actions as well. “Then in blatant disregard for the law and safety, she knowingly placed patients at significant risk by again posing as a licensed medical provider,” Attorney Buchanan said.

An FBI special agent stated that Pickering did not learn from her previous conviction. “Instead, she chose to continue to endanger patient lives through theft and lies,” Special Agent Keri Farley said.

Pickering was last licensed as a physician’s assistant in March of 2014. She previously served a sentence related to her illegal practice in Mississippi in 2015. The sentencing was related to both fraud and narcotics.