South Carolina Man Indicted in Maryland for Medicare Fraud and Aviation Ponzi Scheme

A South Carolina man has been indicted in Maryland for allegedly executing two major fraud schemes—one targeting Medicare during the COVID-19 pandemic and another defrauding private jet customers through a Ponzi-like operation. The indictments, unsealed today by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, outline how Patrick Britton-Harr reportedly obtained millions through both health care and aviation-related fraud.

According to federal prosecutors, Britton-Harr, 41, formerly of Annapolis and now residing in Charleston, operated Provista Health during the pandemic. He is accused of billing Medicare over $15 million for medically unnecessary respiratory pathogen panel (RPP) tests that were either not ordered by a physician, never performed, or conducted on deceased nursing home patients. The scheme resulted in more than $5 million in payments from Medicare. Authorities claim this operation exploited vulnerable populations and took advantage of emergency health care provisions during a national crisis.

In a separate case, Britton-Harr is also accused of defrauding nearly 100 members of AeroVanti, Inc., a private air club he owned. The members, referred to as “Top Gun” clients, were promised ownership interests in specific aircraft in exchange for upfront payments totaling around $15 million. Instead of acquiring the promised aircraft, Britton-Harr allegedly diverted the funds for personal use, including luxury items and rental properties. He later sought a $1.5 million loan to finance a plane he had already claimed to have purchased with member funds, misleading the lender in the process.

The indictments charge Britton-Harr with five counts of health care fraud, one count of money laundering, and six counts of wire fraud. Each wire fraud count carries a potential 20-year prison sentence, while the health care fraud and money laundering charges each carry a maximum of 10 years. If convicted, sentencing will be determined by a federal judge in accordance with U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. Authorities emphasized that the charges are allegations, and Britton-Harr is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Federal officials from the FBI, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Transportation all participated in the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Maryland and Trial Attorneys from the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.

Article by multiple RFHC contributors, based upon information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Maryland

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