NEW ORLEANS, LA – A federal judge sentenced chiropractor Dr. Benjamin Tekippe, 40, of New Orleans, to seven years in prison for orchestrating a multimillion-dollar health care fraud scheme and submitting false unemployment claims during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to court records and trial evidence, Tekippe owned and operated Metairie Chiropractic & Rehab and solicited Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana (BCBSLA) members with misleading offers of “free” massages. In reality, Tekippe billed BCBSLA for these massages—which were not covered services—as well as other chiropractic procedures that were either not performed or misrepresented.
Prosecutors detailed that Tekippe submitted thousands of false claims, including billing for services while he was vacationing in Aruba or incarcerated in Arizona and Washington on unrelated state charges. When audited, Tekippe fabricated patient records and directed his staff to alter documentation to reflect services that were never rendered.
In total, Tekippe submitted over $2.3 million in claims to BCBSLA and received approximately $740,000. Trial evidence showed he spent the proceeds on luxury goods and gambling, including more than $90,000 at Harrah’s Casino in New Orleans.
Additionally, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Tekippe falsely certified weekly that he was unemployed while continuing to bill for chiropractic services. He fraudulently obtained $12,952 in unemployment benefits.
A federal jury convicted Tekippe in April 2025 of six counts of health care fraud and one count of wire fraud. In addition to the prison sentence, he was ordered to pay $753,794.36 in restitution.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). The prosecution was handled by the Justice Department’s Criminal Division Fraud Section.
The announcement was made by Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti; Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson for the Eastern District of Louisiana; and Special Agent in Charge Jason Meadows of HHS-OIG’s Baton Rouge Field Office.
