Valley man sentenced to 3.5 years in prison for patient brokering

Corey Dion Beckhum was sentenced after he agreed to provided patients to an Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System-funded behavioral health facility in exchange for payment.

BY JEFF VINTON

Jul 28, 2025, 2:57 PM Updated: Jul 29, 2025, 12:51 pm

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PHOENIX — A Valley man has been sentenced to more than three years in prison for brokering patients to behavioral health facilities, the Arizona Attorney General’s Office announced Monday.

Corey Dion Beckhum was found guilty last month in Maricopa County Superior Court of a charge of conspiracy to commit consideration for patient referral.

He was sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison last Friday, according to a press release.

The charge stemmed from a joint investigation in 2023 between the Arizona Attorney General’s Office and the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) Office of Inspector General.

How did the patient brokering scheme work?

During the investigation, Beckhum met with undercover agents to discuss how much he could get paid for referring Medicaid patients to a behavioral health clinic. A deal was ultimately agreed to.

According to a 2023 release, Beckham agreed to send patients to an AHCCCS-funded clinic in exchange for per-person, per-day payments.

The 18 patients involved were living at four unlicensed sober living homes being run by Beckhum in the Valley.

Investigators served search warrants at the sober living homes in 2023. All of the patients were moved to licensed facilities.

Beckhum was arrested on Oct. 16, 2023, after meeting with an undercover agent.

“Mr. Beckhum tried to profit off the suffering of vulnerable Arizonans by selling access to Medicaid patients like they were commodities,” Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said in Monday’s release. “That’s not just illegal — it’s reprehensible.”