$487,000 Health Care Fraud - II


August 28, 2009

Health care fraud remains a major problem, and the FBI is investigating hundreds of cases around the country. One South Carolina case involved hundreds of thousands of dollars and a lot of victims.


Audio Transcript

Mr. Schiff: Health care fraud remains a major problem, and the FBI is investigating hundreds of cases around the country. One South Carolina case involved hundreds of thousands of dollars and a lot of victims.

Mr. Holderman: "Approximately 116 workers’ compensation claim checks totaling $487,000 were diverted.”

Mr. Schiff: FBI Special Agent Steve Holderman. He says employees of a major health care provider took federal tax identification numbers from payment checks and put them on fake checks.

Mr. Holderman: "The checks were mailed to addresses or post office boxes opened by three co-defendants. A large portion of the checks were cashed by two of those co-defendants, while the remainder of the checks were deposited into four different bank accounts under the control of the main conspirators.”

Mr. Schiff: These workers’ compensation checks were deposited into accounts of phony health care providers. Holderman says two subjects pleaded guilty and were sentenced.

Mr. Holderman: "Thirteen-month prison sentence.”

Mr. Schiff: Conspiracy to commit mail fraud was the charge. I’m Neal Schiff of the Bureau, and that’s the FBI’s Closed Case of the Week.”

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