Fraud Roundup
Mich. fugitive convicted of health care fraud, sent back to jail after 17 years
Michigan’s Attorney General Mike Cox recently announced that, after 17 years of being a fugitive from justice, Joel Edward Freedland, D.O., age 57, formerly of Franklin, Mich., voluntarily appeared before Judge Thomas E. Jackson in the 3rd Judicial Circuit Court for sentencing.
On April 28, 1982, Freedland was charged by the Attorney General’s Health Care Fraud Division with billing for osteopathic manipulative treatments which were not provided and ordering unnecessary medical procedures on patients.
Health care fraud drives up the cost of health care for all of Michigan’s citizens, Cox said. According to the attorney general’s news release, Freedland, who operated the former Griggs Clinic on Seven Mile in Detroit, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to defraud the Medicaid program and 22 counts of Medicaid false claims following a jury trial in Detroit.
In 1987, Judge Jackson sentenced Freedland to five to ten years in prison on the conspiracy count and two to four years on the 22 counts of Medicaid fraud, with both sentences to run concurrently. Freedland’s attorney filed a Motion for Appeal on April 16, 1987, and Freedland posted a $50,000 surety bond.
The conviction was affirmed by the Michigan Court of Appeals on August 7, 1989, and by the Michigan Supreme Court on April 24, 1990, when it denied Freedland’s application for leave to appeal. When Freedland failed to appear to serve his sentence on October 29, 1990, a bench warrant was issued for his arrest, and the $50,000 bond was forfeited. Freedland’s osteopathic medical license was revoked February 4, 1989.
Source: Michigan Attorney General’s Office
Iowa woman sues boss, American Family Insurance over camera in restroom
A Waverly, Iowa woman is suing her former boss after a video camera was found in the office restroom.
Deanna Miller filed a lawsuit in Black Hawk County District Court against American Family Insurance and agent Robert Speirs, 53, of Grundy Center. She claims civil invasion of privacy, slander and sexual harassment.
According to the lawsuit, another employee at the office went to police in December when she noticed a wireless camera pointed at the toilet. She said a receiver and monitor were in Speir’s desk drawer.
Speirs told authorities that the camera was installed because he suspected drug use in the restroom.
Police arrested him for misdemeanor invasion of privacy, saying the camera was likely for arousing or gratifying sexual desires.
Speirs has pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges, and trial was set for May 16.
Miller’s lawyer, Michael Bandy of Waterloo, said Speirs was fired from the company, which left his client without a job.
Miller is asking for damages to cover
her loss of employment, loss of medical insurance, mental anguish and emotional distress.
c:Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Funeral director faces charges for pocketing prepaid funeral payments
A Morocco, Ind., funeral director faces charges that he pocketed money for prepaid funeral plans instead of forwarding it to insurance companies, state police said.
H. Robert Lang, 41, of Morocco, was arrested on 13 felony counts of insurance fraud following a three-month investigation by state police. The charges each carry a potential sentence of two years to eight years in prison.
Lang is being held on $100,000 bond at the Newton County Jail in Kentland.
Police alleged that Lang, owner of Lang Funeral Home in Morocco about 50 miles northwest of Lafayette, collected payments from clients for prepaid funeral agreements but failed to turn the money over to insurance companies. Some clients became suspicious when they never received any policy information.
The Indiana Department of Insurance, the state attorney general’s office and the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency also took part in the investigation, state police said.
c:Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Ill. mom, son duo destroy family car in insurance fraud scam
An Orland Park, Ill. mother and her 19-year-old son are accused of destroying a family car then reporting it stolen to collect insurance money.
Janet L. Hurta, 50, was charged with felony insurance fraud, police said. Her son, Matthew C. Hurta, 19, of the same address, was charged with filing a false police report, a misdemeanor. Matthew Hurta reported his mother’s car stolen March 30, police said.
Hurta told police the vehicle, a 1977 Chevrolet Camero, was parked in her driveway at 10 p.m. on March 29 but was missing the next day. She told police she contacted her two sons to be sure they did not move the car, and then told them to call police and report it stolen.
During the investigation, police said, they found dismantled car parts in the Hurta residence.
“We believe they cut up and destroyed the vehicle,” Orland Park police Commander Chuck Doll said. “We don’t know what happened to the rest of the vehicle.” The parts recovered include the engine and the transmission.
Doll said crimes like this alleged one cause insurance rates to go up and people to feel vulnerable.
“If they hadn’t been charged, then the fact that they reported their car stolen would make others feel like they can’t park in their driveways,” he said. “And people think doing this with insurance is no big deal, but it definitely is.”
Both Janet Hurta and Matthew Hurta were released on bond. Janet Hurta is set to return to court in Bridgeview in later in the spring. No court date has been set for Matthew Hurta.
Source: Coalition Against Insurance Fraud