GRIMY NEWS ALERT: Temeca Hamilton, 37, and Antwain Hamilton, also 37, of Solon, Ohio, have been sentenced to prison and ordered to pay restitution following their convictions for Medicaid fraud.
The United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, Steven M. Dettelbach, along with Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, announced that Temeca Hamilton was sentenced to 33 months in prison after pleading guilty to nine counts of health care fraud and one count of witness tampering. Antwain Hamilton received a sentence of 30 months for his role in the same scheme.
The court also ordered both defendants to pay $823,283 in restitution for their corrupt activities. The couple operated Star Medical out of Maple Heights, Ohio, where they were accused of bilking the Medicaid program through fraudulent billing practices.
Dettelbach emphasized the severity of the offense: “The punishment in this case reflects the brazen fraud in which these defendants engaged. Even after they knew they were under investigation, they kept defrauding the Medicaid program.”
DeWine added that the couple’s lavish trips on the backs of taxpayers were unacceptable: “In some cases, our investigation found that this couple billed for ambulette runs while vacationing out of state. Now, it is the defendants who must pay the price by repaying those funds and serving jail time.”
The Hamiltons’ fraudulent activities included billing Medicaid for rides of patients who did not use wheelchairs and for ambulette attendants when none were present, as well as charging for transports that never occurred. The couple continued submitting fraudulent bills even after Medicaid suspended payments and the U.S. Attorney’s Office notified them of their investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael L. Collyer and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Constance Nearhood prosecuted the case, which was investigated by Ohio’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Office of Inspector General, United States Department of Health and Human Services. The public is encouraged to report suspected health care fraud by calling 800-447-8477 or visiting www.medicare.gov for more information on fraud prevention and enforcement.
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Key Facts
- State: Ohio
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
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