Arrest warrant issued for Psychiatrist who once ran Arkansas state medical board
An arrest warrant alleging Medicaid fraud was filed Monday for an Arkansas psychiatrist who once ran the state’s medical board, according to a court document obtained by NBC News.
An Arkansas psychiatrist who once ran the state’s medical board has been arrested for alleged Medicaid fraud.
An affidavit filed with the arrest warrant and obtained by NBC News alleges that Dr. Brian Hyatt billed Medicaid for its most expensive billing codes while he was running the locked behavioral unit at the Northwest Medical Center in Springdale, even though investigators concluded that he was rarely in the building.
Hyatt was arrested by the Rogers Police Department on Monday. In a statement after arrest, Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin said, "My office has made arrangements with Dr. Hyatt’s attorney for Hyatt to appear in Pulaski County for a bail hearing later this month."
More than 40 former patients have also accused Hyatt in civil lawsuits of having imprisoned them against their will while he was running the locked behavioral health unit from February 2018 through May 2022.
Dr. Brian Hyatt.KNWAHyatt’s contract with the hospital was abruptly terminated when Medicaid fraud allegations first surfaced in May 2022. He stepped down as chairman of the State Medical Board this March and then resigned from the board altogether in May.
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