Friday, November 16, 2007

Found guilty by a jury of 40 counts of health care fraud.

Doctor’s Ambulance Service was placed on probation for 5 years

PROBATION ?

Found guilty by a jury of 40 counts of health care fraud.
East Texan Going to Prison for Health Care Fraud
Posted: Friday, 16th November 2007 3:01AM
TYLER -- An East Texas man has been sentenced in Tyler Federal Court to just over eight years in prison for health care fraud. Anura Andradi, 47, of Forney, and his ambulance company, Doctor’s Ambulance Service, were sentenced by United States District Judge Michael Schneider after previously being found guilty by a jury of 40 counts of health care fraud.

According to federal prosecutors, from March 2004 to December 2005, Andradi and Doctor's Ambulance Service defrauded Medicare and the Texas Medicaid program by certifying that dialysis patients met the Medicare and Medicaid guidelines for ambulance transports, when in fact, they did not. The jury also found that Andradi and Doctor's Ambulance Service obtained $750,000 from the fraudulent scheme and that five ambulances and over $220,000 seized from various bank accounts were derived from the proceeds fraudulently obtained by the defendants. Andradi was sentenced to 97 months in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,710,015. Doctor’s Ambulance Service was placed on probation for 5 years and ordered to pay restitution of $2,710,015.

Two other defendants, Maulie Happawana, 46, of Plano, and Ron Paytt, 39, of Grand Prairie, were also sentenced for their roles in the health care fraud scheme. Happawana and Pyatt previously pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. From March 2004 to December 2005, Happawana and Pyatt defrauded Medicare and the Texas Medicaid program by certifying that dialysis patients met the Medicare and Medicaid guidelines for ambulance transports, and, in fact, they did not. Happawana was placed on probation for 5 years and ordered to pay restitution of $54,808.57. Pyatt was placed on probation for 3 years, with 180 days of home confinement, and ordered to pay restitution of $12,553.74.

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