Child Support Enforcement

In Florida, a man was sentenced to 12 months in prison, 12 months probation, 25-hours community service and ordered to pay full restitution for failure to pay child support. As of August 2003, he owed approximately $56,000 in overdue support. In the early 1990’s, the man was ordered to pay $55 a week for his child who suffered from severe autism. Shortly thereafter, the man inherited nearly $750,000 and then virtually disappeared, leaving no trace of employment or even a residence for 10 years. Investigation revealed that while the custodial parent was receiving assistance from Medicaid, the man progressively spent all of the money on suspected drug usage and trips to Norway. In 2002, he was located living in a rural area in Washington State.

Durable Medical Equipment

In Michigan, a man was sentenced to 63 months incarceration and ordered to pay $1 million in restitution for defrauding Medicare, Medicaid and a private insurer. In addition, the man forfeited $1 million in assets obtained through the fraud. As an owner of a durable medical equipment company, the man persuaded elderly patients to purchase motorized wheelchairs they did not need.

Prescription Drug Fraud

In Florida, as a result of a joint investigation with the Food and Drug Administration, three subjects were sentenced for their role in a scheme to defraud Medicare. The three subjects were each sentenced to serve time in jail and were ordered to pay a combined total of $31,000 in restitution. During the investigation, it was revealed that the defendants were engaged in a scheme to traffic in what was purported to be Procrit but was actually water. Procrit is a Medicare covered drug for the treatment of anemia for use by cancer and HIV patients.

Ambulance Companies

In Illinois, a man was sentenced to 2 years probation and ordered to pay a $100 fine for false statements. The man, who worked for an ambulance service, lied to agents about destroying ambulance run sheets and other pertinent evidence at the ambulance service.

Nursing Home

In Illinois, a bookkeeper at a nursing home was sentenced to 12 months incarceration and ordered to pay the nursing home $23,000 in restitution for theft of monies from an entity receiving Federal funds. As the bookkeeper, the woman had complete charge and signature authority on all of the patient trust fund accounts. Over a two-year period, she embezzled over $23,000 from the accounts of the most vulnerable residents with no next of kin and who were wards of the State. The bookkeeper took money from a woman who had no money, died, and subsequently had to be buried in a paupers’ field with no headstone. She used the funds for drinking at local bars and gambling at riverboat casinos. As part of her sentence, she must seek mental health assistance, along with alcohol and gambling abuse counseling.