Free State Pharmacy defendants receive 24-month sentences

What happened

An October 16 announcement reports that Steven Anthony Churchill and Samson Kollelil Solomon each received 24 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, mail fraud and wire fraud. Co-defendant Fawn Lickteig is scheduled for sentencing November 10, 2026. The release does not give the dates on which Churchill and Solomon were sentenced, so October 16 is the announcement date used here. Between September 2020 and February 2021, 2,699 false claims caused Medicare to pay Free State Pharmacy $897,405.

Churchill bought the pharmacy under another person's name, and it operated as a mail-order business while representing itself to Medicare as a retail pharmacy. It obtained patient information through telemedicine companies and shipped medications despite absent physical examinations or proper telemedicine visits. Patients called about unexpected products and returned shipments. The pharmacy prioritized prescriptions by expected Medicare profit, with high-dollar dermatology products predominating. Lickteig's consulting company handled government applications, connecting enrollment accuracy with the pharmacy's actual operating model.

Why it matters

Ownership, enrollment classification, prescribing support and shipment complaints can expose the same scheme. A pharmacy's reimbursement profile should be consistent with its actual business operations and patient relationships.

Case details

agencies

DOJ, FBI, HHS-OIG

entities

Steven Anthony Churchill, Samson Kollelil Solomon, Fawn Lickteig, Free State Pharmacy

action Type

Criminal resolution

event Date

2026-10-16

alleged Conduct

Concealed pharmacy ownership, inaccurate enrollment representations and unnecessary prescriptions supporting fraudulent Medicare claims.

resolution

October 16 announcement of two 24-month sentences; exact sentence dates absent. Lickteig sentencing scheduled November 10. Medicare paid $897,405.

Operational lessons

• Match enrollment representations to actual pharmacy operations.
• Connect shipment complaints and returns with prescribing and billing review.

Implementation playbook

1. Recommended internal target: reconcile pharmacy ownership and retail or mail-order enrollment representations with actual operations. Provider Enrollment · Due 2026-10-23
2. Recommended internal target: trace selected high-margin prescriptions and returned shipments to legitimate encounters, patient requests and claims support. Compliance · Due 2026-10-30

Sources

• DOJ official October 16 press-release API, page 0Official · U.S. Department of Justice