RICHMOND, VA. — Adam Lamar Harrell, a 41-year-old Midlothian resident, entered a guilty plea yesterday for his involvement in a fraudulent scheme that led to the misappropriation of millions from the Virginia Department of Health (VDH). Harrell faced charges including mail fraud, federal program theft, and tax evasion.
Court documents indicate that Harrell, who began his employment at VDH on August 10, 2013, and later became the Associate Director of the Office of Emergency Medical Services (OEMS) on September 10, 2019, exploited his position to embezzle funds. As the Associate Director, Harrell was responsible for overseeing Virginia’s emergency response programs and its related IT systems.
From January 2021 to May 2023, Harrell used a company he owned, Strategic Tech Innovations, LLC, to create and submit 15 fraudulent invoices for unprovided services and technology to OEMS. He directed these invoices through the Western Virginia EMS Council to bypass VDH’s usual vendor approval processes, thereby avoiding scrutiny and approving the payments himself.
The funds from these invoices, totaling $4,337,395, were used by Harrell for personal expenditures, including real estate, luxury vehicles, firearms, and jewelry. Additionally, Harrell engaged in tax evasion by underreporting his income and overstating expenses on his tax returns, resulting in an underpayment of $1,880,287.34 in federal income taxes.
Harrell is set to be sentenced on November 20, facing up to 20 years in prison. The sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge, taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other relevant factors.
