PRESTONSBURG, Ky. — Mountain Comprehensive Care Center and its chief executive officer have filed a lawsuit against three former employees, accusing them of making false allegations of health care billing fraud and other misconduct that the organization says have damaged its reputation and business relationships.

The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Floyd Circuit Court, names former MCCC Chief Financial Officer Rebeckah Hall, former Regional Billing Coordinator Rachel Williams and former Revenue Cycle Manager Kendra Allen as defendants.

MCCC and CEO Promod “Mots” Bishnoi are seeking damages for defamation, tortious interference with contractual and prospective business relationships and abuse of process. The lawsuit alleges the three former employees coordinated an effort to accuse Bishnoi and MCCC of fraudulent billing after internal audits identified billing and operational deficiencies in departments they oversaw.

“Filing this lawsuit was not a decision we made lightly,” Bishnoi said in a statement released Thursday. “However, when false statements threaten the reputation of our organization and the trust our patients and communities place in us, we have a responsibility to vigorously defend ourselves.”

The lawsuit says MCCC began experiencing financial difficulties in 2024 and 2025, including declining collections, billing delays, reimbursement deficiencies and operational inefficiencies. According to the complaint, an internal review subsequently found a backlog of unprocessed claims, failures to bill for reimbursable services and widespread underbilling.

MCCC says the internal review did not find evidence of billing fraud. The organization also points to a September 2025 review by the federal Health Resources and Services Administration, which it says found MCCC compliant with federal requirements involving billing, collections, financial management, governance and patient services. MCCC’s independent auditing firm also issued an unqualified audit opinion in late 2025, according to the lawsuit.

The three former employees, however, have filed separate lawsuits against MCCC alleging they were retaliated against after objecting to billing practices they believed were improper.

Hall, who worked for MCCC for about 26 years and served as CFO, filed her lawsuit in January. She alleges she was directed to bill services under an FQHC location even when services were provided elsewhere, submit services under the credentials of a licensed provider when the services were not performed by that provider and change billing locations despite concerns from the financial and billing departments. She alleges she was subjected to a hostile work environment after refusing to follow those directions and was constructively discharged.

Williams, who worked for MCCC for about 14 years, most recently as regional billing coordinator, filed suit in March. Her complaint makes similar allegations, claiming she was directed to engage in billing practices she believed were improper and was subjected to retaliation and a hostile work environment after refusing. She says she ultimately resigned in December 2025 because of those conditions.

Allen, who worked for MCCC for approximately 18 years and most recently served as revenue cycle manager, filed suit in June. Her complaint similarly alleges she was instructed to engage in billing practices she believed violated regulations, including submitting certain services under a licensed provider’s credentials to obtain a higher reimbursement rate. She alleges she was retaliated against after refusing to comply and was forced to leave the organization in February.

MCCC’s new lawsuit disputes those allegations. It says the three employees sent a letter in a November 2025 to the organization’s board, accusing Bishnoi of directing employees to manipulate billing and accounting records and engage in fraudulent practices. The complaint says the letter did not identify specific laws allegedly violated or provide documentation supporting the accusations.

The lawsuit says the allegations were later repeated in the women’s resignation letters. According to MCCC’s complaint, Hall accused Bishnoi of asking her to participate in “fraudulent” billing and retaliating against her, while Williams and Allen described the practices they objected to as “unethical and fraudulent” or “unethical or fraudulent.”

MCCC also alleges Hall provided the board letter to an outside auditor despite calling it “highly confidential.” The organization says that prompted additional review procedures and delayed the release of audit materials.

The organization claims the allegations and subsequent lawsuits caused reputational damage, disrupted business relationships, delayed regulatory and auditing processes and resulted in the loss or suspension of funding opportunities. The complaint says at least one outside organization suspended a grant awarded to MCCC because of the public allegations.

MCCC says it filed the lawsuit to clear its name, hold the former employees accountable and restore public confidence. The organization’s press release says any monetary damages recovered would be donated to a charitable organization whose work aligns with MCCC’s mission.

“For decades, our employees have earned the trust of the communities we serve through compassionate, high-quality care,” Bishnoi said. “Our focus remains on our patients and our mission. We believe this lawsuit is a necessary step to protect both.”

Two other former Mountain Comprehensive Care Center employees have also filed lawsuits against the organization, although neither is named as a defendant in the lawsuit MCCC filed against three former employees.

Jennifer Salisbury, who served as MCCC’s Quality Improvement Director, filed suit in Floyd Circuit Court on June 17. According to her complaint, she worked for MCCC for six years and also worked for Mountain Plus Services. Her employment ended Aug. 6, 2025.

Her lawsuit alleges she investigated a medication error in which a patient received medication intended for another person and implemented corrective measures. She claims that, after she raised concerns, MCCC officials—including CEO Promod Bishnoi—interfered with her incident-reporting responsibilities and removed her from the compliance process.

Salisbury also alleges she participated in a Medicaid audit that identified deficiencies in MCCC’s Children’s TRP program, including billing that did not correspond with treatment plans, failure to provide medically necessary services and violations of Medicaid billing rules. She says she prepared a corrective manual and that Bishnoi reacted “with hostility” before she was removed from the audit and compliance process.

The complaint alleges Salisbury was terminated without a stated reason and claims the termination constituted retaliation for reporting concerns about patient safety and healthcare compliance. She is seeking damages, including lost wages, benefits, attorney’s fees and punitive damages.

Kristy Stiltner, who served as MCCC’s Mental Health Director, filed a separate lawsuit May 1. Her complaint says she had worked for MCCC for 22 years before her employment ended April 23, 2025.

Stiltner alleges she was directed to bill services under FQHC locations even when the services were provided elsewhere, refrain from questioning certain Medicaid and Medicare charges and submit TRP services under the credentials of a licensed provider even though the services were not rendered by that provider. She also alleges she was instructed to bill a certain amount of services per client regardless of whether the services were necessary or warranted.

Stiltner claims she was retaliated against after refusing to follow those directions and was eventually terminated. She says Bishnoi told her, “This just isn’t working out.”

Like the other former employees, Stiltner alleges she was subjected to a hostile work environment and seeks damages for lost wages, benefits, emotional distress and other losses, as well as punitive damages.

MCCC serves communities in more than 60 Kentucky counties and provides behavioral health, primary care, substance use treatment, crisis intervention and other healthcare services.

The allegations contained in all six lawsuits have not been adjudicated, and no finding of liability has been made against MCCC, Bishnoi or the three former employees.

A copy of the complaint filed by MCCC and Bishnoi follows:

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PRESTONSBURG, Ky. — A Central Kentucky sex offender who allegedly moved to Floyd County without informing authorities was arrested Tuesday following a brief chase.

Johnny Ray McQueen, 63, who has recently been living in Auxier, was convicted in Madison County of first-degree sexual abuse of a 13-year-old back in 1982.

After serving his sentence, he has been on the sex offender registry ever since, But while his last reported address was in Danville, but he was discovered to no longer be living there back in March.

The Floyd County Sheriff’s Office learned Tuesday that he was in downtown Prestonsburg, and a deputy spotted him getting into his car on Front Street. The deputy instructed him to get out of his vehicle, but wrote in his report that McQueen put his car in drive instead, damaging an electrical receptacle and some grass along the way.

From there, police say he drove the wrong way down Front Street, nearly hitting two women who were crossing the street, before veering into the riverbank parking area behind Billy Ray’s Restaurant. After driving through the parking lot, he drove into an adjacent field along the riverbank, before abandoning his vehicle and trying to run away. He was captured seconds later.

McQueen now faces of fleeing police, wanton endangerment, criminal mischief and several traffic violations in Floyd County, in addition to failure to comply with sex offender registration in Boyle County. He is being held in the Floyd County jail on a 25-thousand dollar cash bond.

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LONDON, Ky. — A former Floyd County school bus driver will remain in jail while he awaits the outcome of his criminal case involving a federal child exploitation charge.

Andrew D. Lewis, 40, of Prestonsburg, was arrested last month after he was indicted on a charge of attempted online enticement of a minor. The indictment accused Little of messaging a middle school student, trying to persuade a minor to engage in sexual activity that would likely result in a criminal charge of first-degree sexual abuse.

He has pleaded not guilty to the charge.

DETENTION RULING

On Monday, Lewis appeared before a magistrate for a hearing to determine if he would be eligible for pre-trial release from jail.

On Thursday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Hanly Ingram ruled that he would remain behind bars because there are no reasonable conditions of release that would ensure the safety of the public.

While Judge Ingram said Lewis’s lack of a criminal history and termination from the school system were factors that worked in favor of his release from jail, other factors made incarceration necessary. Those included Lewis’ easy access to internet-capable devices, including his desktop computer, his wife’s laptop, his three children’s tablets and a cell phone.

But the judge also pointed to other troubling actions, including that Lewis had erased his phone before turning it over to police and made calls to his wife after his arrest, asking her to contact a police detective, other law enforcement officers and a state senator to “call in some favors.”

The judge also noted that Lewis could be seen snickering and laughing while an FBI agent testified about his actions during the detention hearing, “indicating an overall lack of appreciation for the seriousness of the charge.”

Lewis is currently scheduled to go on trial Sept. 29.

ADDITIONAL ALLEGATIONS

An FBI agent testifying about how the investigation into Lewis began revealed that the message to the student that resulted in the charge was not the only allegation of troubling behavior with middle school girls.

The investigation began when two students on Lewis’ bus reported him for inappropriate touching. 

One girl reported that Lewis would give her lingering hugs and touch her buttocks. 

The second girl told authorities that Lewis hugged her when she got on the bus the morning of March 27, then later sat beside her, whispered that she was “hot” and touched her on the rear. That girl messaged another girl at an upcoming bus stop, then fled the bus with her once they arrived at that stop.

Once Lewis finished his run that day, he was interviewed by school officials at the bus garage concerning the girls’ allegations. He was allowed to keep his phone at that time.

When police eventually became involved in the case, Lewis had erased his phone. A forensic examination of the phone was able to recover a Google search for how to delete a phone’s content, as well as a screenshot of the message sent to the third middle school student that resulted in the attempted online enticement charge.

Prestonsburg Police have said that Lewis is facing pending charges of first-degree sexual abuse and tampering with physical evidence in Floyd Circuit Court.

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Plan includes new lines and tanks

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PRESTONSBURG, Ky. — Prestonsburg Police have arrested a man for engaging in sodomy with a minor.

Jesse Dingsong Gent, 19, is charged with two counts of third-degree sodomy. According to the police report and arrest warrant, Gent is charged with engaging in sodomy with a 16-year-old boy over whom he was in a position of authority between July 8 and July 12. The charge is a felony, punishable by up to five years in prison.

Gent is being held without bond in the Floyd County Detention Center.

The case was investigated by Prestonsburg Police Det. Dennis Hutchinson.

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PRESTONSBURG, Ky. — A Floyd County murder case that has already taken more than seven years to go to trial will now take more than eight, after the trial was delayed once again on Friday.

Wesley Glenn Martin, 51, is charged with murder for the February 2019 shooting death of Jordan Christopher Tackett, whose body was found buried in the front yard of Martin’s Wayland home. Martin was expected to go on trial Monday, but that has now been postponed until May 10.

The issue was the prosecution’s notice on July 20 that it intended to call two witnesses who would testify about seeing Martin placing Tackett in a “timeout,”  forcing him to sit on a chair and not speak or move, with his hands bound with zip ties. Commonwealth’s Attorney Brent Turner said in his notice that the testimony is relevant, because when Tackett’s body was recovered, his hands were tied with rope, his mouth was gagged and a plastic zip tie was found around one of his wrists.

Turner also noted that the evidence was not new, but had been given to the defense more than six years ago.

But defense attorney Ned Pillersdorf objected in a court filing two days later, saying the late notice leaves the defense without enough time to investigate the allegations or interview witnesses connected to events that are now at least six years old.

Martin has been behind bars since his arrest in 2019, although he was serving a 69-month sentence for much of that time after he was convicted of possessing a firearm despite previous felony conviction.  That sentence has now been completed and Martin is currently being held on a $250,000 cash bond.

With the nine-month delay, Pillersdorf has now filed a motion asking to lower that bond.

Floyd Circuit Judge Johnny Ray Harris has set a hearing for Aug. 10 to consider all pending motions.

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PRESTONSBURG, Ky. — The former chief safety officer for Floyd County Schools has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit, saying the board violated whistleblower protections by punishing him for reporting a child exploitation case, then kept him in the dark about another case.

Thomas Gearheart filed his complaint Thursday in Floyd Circuit Court against the Floyd County Board of Education, Supt. Tonya Horne-Williams and all five members of the school board.

Gearheart alleges that on March 24, 2025, he became aware of allegations that a minor student had exposed herself by telephone to an adult male while on a school bus.

Gearheart says in his complaint that he reported the incident to Kentucky State Police, as required by his job duties and state law.

However, shortly after he made the report, he claims Supt. Horne-Williams voiced disapproval of his actions, saying he should have allowed the board to conduct an internal investigation before bringing in police.

A short time later, he said his office was moved from the board office to another location in the district.

Then, on March 26 of this year, Gearheart says the board learned of an incident involving allegations that a school bus driver had sexually assaulted a female student. However, he says he was not informed of the incident by the board, even though such matters would normally fall under his job duties.

Instead, he claims the board began conducting its own investigation without contacting police. Ultimately, Prestonsburg Police learned of the allegations independently of the board and began their own investigation.

Gearheart says he learned that the bus driver allegedly deleted evidence from his phone, which he says might not have happened had he been allowed to do his job. 

Gearheart complained about his exclusion from the investigation to the board’s Human Resources Department, saying he had concerns about “student safety, potential criminal conduct, preservation of evidence and compliance with legal obligations.”

Gearheart was also subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury about the bus driver on May 13.

On May 14, he was informed that his position was being eliminated and he would no longer be employed by the board.

Gearheart claims his job duties are now being performed by other board employees and that the elimination of his position was a pretext for retaliation against him for his actions in the two cases.

Gearheart is suing on grounds of violations of Kentucky’s Whistleblower Act, wrongful termination, retaliation for reporting child abuse, retaliation for cooperating with police and the grand jury, and disability discrimination.

The complaint does not identify the bus driver who was accused of inappropriate actions with a student. However, the timing and the Prestonsburg Police and grand jury investigations all line up with the case announced this week involving former bus driver Andrew Lewis, who was arrested on a charge of attempted online enticement.

A lawsuit represents only one side of a dispute. Mountain Top News has reached out to the Floyd County Board of Education for comment. We were told through a spokesperson that Supt. Horne-Williams has been in meetings in Louisville all week and is not aware of the lawsuit, so there would be no comment at this time.

Mountain Top News has offered the board a chance to respond once they have had a chance to review the complaint.

A copy of Gearheart’s complaint follows

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