Pennsylvania Man Charged with Fraud in Ambulance Scheme

Topics:  Starcare Ambulance

U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania
June 29, 2012

WASHINGTON—A Churchville, Pennsylvania man was arrested today on charges contained in a 23-count indictment for his alleged role in a scheme to defraud Medicare by billing for fraudulent ambulance services, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Zane D. Memeger.

An indictment unsealed today charges William V. Hlushmanuk, aka “Bill Le,” 35, of Churchville, Pennsylvania, with 21 counts of health care fraud, one count of conspiring to commit health care fraud, and one count of aiding and abetting in a false statement relating to a health care matter.

The indictment alleges that between 2006 and April 2011, Hlushmanuk and others devised a scheme to defraud Medicare of more than $5.4 million dollars. According to the indictment, Hlushmanuk used a straw owner to fraudulently open Starcare Ambulance because he was otherwise ineligible to own the company. Starcare primarily transported dialysis patients and fraudulently billed Medicare for patient transport for patients who could walk and whose transportation by Medicare was not medically required. The scheme involved transports in vans and fraudulent representations to Medicare’s administrative contractor, Highmark Medicare Services, to induce them to pay for these services. The indictment seeks forfeiture of $5,443,315, as well as a 2006 Hummer.

If convicted of all charges, Hlushmanuk faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison on each of the health care fraud and conspiracy counts, five years for aiding and abetting in false statements relating to health care fraud, a three-year term of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Sam G. Nazzaro of the Organized Crime and Gang Section in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.

An indictment contains charges and defendants are innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.