The Associated Press
HOUSTON — Federal prosecutors say a 48-year-old man has been sentenced to six years in prison for operating bogus ambulance companies that fraudulently collected $3.6 million inMedicare payments.
Julian Kimble was sentenced Tuesday after being convicted of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and other charges. He also must pay back the money he collected. Kimble pleaded guilty to the charges in November 2011.
Prosecutors say Kimble operated four ambulance companies in the Houston area from 2008 to 2010. He routinely billed the federal Medicare program for ambulance transports that were not provided, not needed or not ordered by a treating physician.
He and others transported Medicare beneficiaries in vans or sedans. Kimble received kickbacks from the owners of community mental health centers in exchange for supplying patients to their facilities.