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A former senior official with the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) was sentenced to six years in federal prison this week for orchestrating a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme and evading nearly $2 million in taxes, according to court records.
Adam Lamar Harrell, 41, of Midlothian, used his position as Associate Director of the Office of Emergency Medical Services (OEMS) to siphon $4.3 million in public funds into a company he secretly owned and controlled, Strategic Tech Innovations, LLC, federal prosecutors said.
Harrell’s responsibilities at OEMS included managing Virginia's emergency response programs and information systems for EMS providers.
According to officials, beginning in 2021, Harrell created 15 fraudulent invoices for overpriced and largely fictitious services purportedly provided by Strategic Tech.
He bypassed VDH’s vendor approval process by directing these invoices to the Western Virginia EMS Council (WVEMS), which unknowingly processed the fraudulent payments using OEMS funds.
According to prosecutors, Harrell personally approved the fraudulent invoices in his role at OEMS and deposited the funds into accounts he controlled, spending the money on personal luxuries, including 95 firearms, luxury watches, diamond earrings, vehicles, and real estate.
In addition to misappropriating funds, Harrell filed fraudulent tax returns, falsely reporting business expenses to reduce his taxable income. Over three years, he evaded nearly $1.9 million in federal taxes, authorities said.
The court ordered Harrell to pay $6.25 million in restitution to VDH and other victims of his crimes in addition to his prison term.
To date, prosecutors have recovered $660,359 through the sale of seized assets, including real estate and vehicles.
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