ANDERSON — An Anderson man has been charged in U.S. District Court with a single count of health care fraud, for allegedly bilking Indiana Medicaid out of nearly $1 million.
U.S. District Attorney Timothy M. Morrison announced the charge on Monday accusing Dennis M. Lennartz, 55, of fraudulently billing the Medicaid program of $965,000. Lennartz has not been arrested. He will make an initial court appearance Jan. 20 in federal court in Indianapolis.
Lennartz could not be reached for comment. His attorney, Jack Crawford of Indianapolis, declined to discuss the allegations on Monday.
“Dennis is cooperating with federal authorities in the investigation,” the attorney said. “That’s about all I can tell you.”
According to the charging information filed Dec. 31:
Lennartz is accused of using the Medicaid provider number for Wabash-based Waters Transportation, which provides transportation for patients to medical appointments.
Morrison declined to identify Lennartz’s role with the company, only saying Lennartz and the business’s owner were “associates.” The owner of Waters Transportation is not identified in the charging information. Morrison declined to say who owns the company, but said that person will not face charges.
Between August 2006 and December 2008, Lennartz billed Indiana Medicaid “substantially in excess” for the transportation work the company actually performed.
Along with the criminal charge, the government is also seeking the forfeiture of about $66,000 in three bank accounts. The funds were gained through the overbilling.
Lennartz faces a maximum sentence of 20 years behind bars and a $250,000 fine if convicted, Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley P. Shepard said in a news release.
It’s not the first time Lennartz was accused of defrauding Medicaid by overbilling. Medicaid helps pay for the medical services of the elderly, disabled and needy families with children who don’t have health insurance.
According to court documents, Lennartz owned the medical transportation company Ambulatory Renal Service when it was under investigation in 1987 by the Indiana Attorney General’s Office. The business took patients for dialysis treatment.
Prosecutors alleged he overbilled for mileage and time spent with patients while they underwent dialysis. They also claimed he billed for services that weren’t performed, and charged Medicaid for individual patient trips, when he was actually taking them in groups. The amount he took was not included in the court documents.
Federal prosecutors charged him with 18 counts of mail fraud for sending the bills via the mail, and one count of making a false Medicaid claim. He was convicted in 1990 of six counts of mail fraud, and sentenced to one year in a federal prison and five years’ probation.
Cops, courts and fires
Anderson man charged with overbilling nearly $1 million
Second time Lennartz suspected of Medicaid fraud
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