Former Treasurer of Brownsville Ambulance Service, Inc. Indicted on Fraud and Theft Charges

PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Newel, PA, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of mail fraud and theft from a program receiving federal funds, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

The 21-count Indictment, returned on Aug 13 and unsealed Friday, named Edward T. Stevenson, 62, as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment, Stevenson was employed as the Treasurer of Brownsville Ambulance Service, Inc. (BAS), located in Brownsville, Pennsylvania, and from January 17, 2013 through March 22, 2017, without authorization, issued 132 checks totaling $136,140 from BAS’s checking accounts at First National Bank and PNC Bank, made payable to himself, to cash, and to his personal business, Lunden’s Flower Shop. The Indictment alleges that the checks were deposited to either Stevenson’s personal bank account or to one of two bank accounts he maintained on behalf of Lunden’s Flower Shop, and were issued in excess of his wages and for his personal benefit. The Indictment charges Stevenson with seven counts of mail fraud and 14 counts of theft from his employer, a not-for-profit business that annually received $10,000 or more in federal benefits through the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 as to each count of conviction, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. The defendant remains on bond pending the resolution of this case.

Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.