Phoenix Man Sentenced 3.5 Years Medicaid Patient Brokering Scheme

Corey Dion Beckhum, a Phoenix man, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for running unlicensed sober living homes and conspiring to sell Medicaid patient referrals to a behavioral health clinic. Beckhum was convicted on charges of conspiracy to commit consideration for patient referral and attempted consideration for patient referral after a joint investigation involving the Arizona Attorney General’s Health Care Fraud and Abuse Section and the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System Office of Inspector General. The investigation revealed Beckhum placed about 18 Medicaid recipients in unsanitary, unlicensed sober living homes and negotiated with undercover agents to receive per-person, per-day payments in exchange for referring patients to an AHCCCS-funded behavioral health facility. Following search warrants and patient relocations to licensed facilities, Beckhum was arrested in October 2023 and found guilty by a Maricopa County Superior Court jury in June 2025. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes condemned Beckhum's actions as both illegal and reprehensible, emphasizing that her office will continue to pursue those who exploit vulnerable individuals and the behavioral health system. This case is part of a broader effort to combat a $2.8 billion fraud involving Arizona’s Medicaid addiction treatment system.