Carterville nurse sentenced on felony drug and health care fraud charges

BENTON - A Carterville man was sentenced to four years of probation on felony drug and health care fraud charges last week.

According to the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Illinois, Joseph M. Mattingly, 42, was also ordered to pay a $500 fine along with a $200 special assessment during the Sept. 16 appearance.

According to court documents, Mattingly diverted Schedule II controlled substance (Hydrocodone) pills from a patient and defrauded the Medicare program for the cost of the pills.

Mattingly was employed as a nurse with Progress Port in 2018. That facility is a center for adults with intellectual disabilities in Williamson County.

According to the documents, Mattingly obtained possession of 25 Hydrocodone pills between Aug. 20, 2018 and Oct. 30, 2018. He falsely claimed he dispensed these pills to a Progress Port resident but diverted them for his personal use.

He also took three Hydrocodone pills intended for the same resident and replaced those pills with Tylenol.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General-Office of Investigations and the Illinois State Police Medicaid Fraud Control Bureau.