NC Woman Faces 170 Felony Charges in Insurance Fraud Involving Stolen GLP-1 Drugs

A North Carolina woman has been busy over the last three years, illegally obtaining weight-loss medication, administering it to people, and defrauding insurance companies of more than $87,400, the state Department of Insurance alleged this week.

Heather Ann Robinson, 37, of Kenly, near Raleigh, was charged with 170 felonies, including insurance fraud, identity theft and credit card fraud. She also used stolen identity information to siphon some $46,614 from victims’ 401K retirement accounts, DOI officials said.

The means by which Robinson allegedly obtained personal information was not spelled out, but some of the information came from family members, said Jason Tyson, communications director for the Department of Insurance.

The investigation by DOI fraud examiners began in December 2024, after the department received tips that potential fraud was afoot. Investigators obtained a search warrant and raided Robinson’s home, collecting a plethora of evidence, including her laptop computer and cellphone, Tyson explained. The amount of information was so voluminous that it took investigators six months to comb through it.

The scouring and other information showed that the woman, who has no medical training, obtained GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, which can go by the brand names of Ozempic and Wegovy, then sold it to and gave advice to people using it. In some cases, she administered it herself, Tyson said.

Robinson filed insurance claims with Aflac, the supplemental insurance provider, and with Colonial Life and Accident Insurance Co. She collected $87,415 on the claims and had attempted to gain an additional $157,300, the DOI said in a statement.

She turned herself into the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office on Oct. 8 and was released on $100,000 bond.

It’s not the first time Robinson has been accused of misappropriation of money. In early 2024, she was fired from a job as an office manager after being accused of embezzling $58,000, Tyson said. The company did not press charges after she agreed to repay the funds.

Topics
Fraud
North Carolina