Cape Girardeau Man Indicted on Health Care Fraud Charges

PADUCAH, KY—A federal grand jury in Paducah returned an indictment on November 9, 2009, against Jimmie Don Schwettman, age 71, of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, on charges of health care fraud, United States Attorney Candace G. Hill of the Western District of Kentucky announced today.

The Indictment alleges that on or about and between January 1, 2004, and July 1, 2006, Schwettman did knowingly and willfully execute a scheme or artifice to defraud his employer, Western Kentucky Navigation’s Employee Benefit Plan, and to obtain, by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations, or promises, money owned by, or under the custody or control of the Plan. He did this by making misrepresentations of material fact in medication receipts of the Medicap Pharmacy in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, in support of payment of health care benefits from the Plan to him or on his behalf in the Western District of Kentucky, McCracken County, Kentucky.

In the event of a conviction, the maximum potential penalties are 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and supervised release for a period of three years

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Sparks, and it was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Schwettman is scheduled to appear for arraignment before the United States Magistrate Judge on December 9, 2009, at 1:30 p.m. in Paducah, Kentucky.