Salt Lake Exec Indicted in $20M Medicare Fraud Scam

Former Salt Lake City medical equipment magnate Jacob Kilgore faces a litany of charges for orchestrating an alleged $20 million Medicare fraud scheme. The 34-year-old Fruit Heights resident is accused of masterminding Orbit Medical Inc.’s (Orbit) fraudulent claims for power wheelchairs, leading to a reported $15 million payout from the federal program.

Kilgore, co-owner and vice president of Orbit, was indicted in the District of Utah on three counts of health care fraud, false statements, and wire fraud. Court documents claim he falsified medical records to misrepresent beneficiaries’ eligibility for power wheelchairs, a claim which resulted in Medicare paying over $15 million.

Three former sales representatives at Orbit have also entered guilty pleas for their roles in the scheme. Morgan Workman, David Evans, and Hunter Hartman each pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit health care fraud.

The scam was uncovered through a joint investigation by the FBI, HHS-OIG, and DCIS. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Y. Hirata and DOJ Trial Attorney Niall M. O’Donnell are prosecuting the case.

Kilgore is set to appear in court on November 21st, where he will face Judge Brooke Wells. The charges against him are merely accusations at this point; he is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

This high-stakes fraud case serves as a stark reminder of the lengths some will go to exploit the Medicare system for personal gain.

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