- Posted December 01, 2011
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State Roundup
Detroit
Miami man pleads guilty in $5.4M Medicare fraud
DETROIT (AP) -- Federal authorities say a patient recruiter has pleaded guilty for his participation in a $5.4 million Medicare fraud scheme operated out of three Detroit-area health clinics.
Thirty-three-year-old Santiago Villa-Restrepo (VEE'-ah rehs-TREP'-oh) of Miami pleaded guilty Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Arthur Tarnow in Detroit to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. That can carry up to 10 years in prison.
The government says Villa-Restrepo admits recruiting beneficiaries for three clinics.
It says he and others paid bribes to people who agreed to attend the clinics, where they provided their Medicare provider numbers and other information.
The government says that allowed the clinics to bill for diagnostic tests that were unnecessary and sometimes weren't provided.
Lansing
Proposal could help Michigan heating fund for poor
LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Michigan House Republicans have a plan to protect low-income residents from potential utility shut-offs this winter, their leaders said Tuesday.
Lawmakers announced plans to put $62 million into the state's emergency relief fund to help keep the heat on for low-income residents. The money would come from federal funds that Republicans say could be used for the heating program.
The plan also would formalize the end of the collection of a utility charge that ratepayers have been assessed. A state appeals court in July struck down the financing system used by Michigan's Low Income and Energy Efficiency Fund.
The new legislative plan would refund the about $40 million that had continued to be collected to affected utility ratepayers.
Bills could be introduced this week.
Published: Thu, Dec 1, 2011
headlines Detroit
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- Many deserving candidates for Outstanding Hypocrite Award
- Daily Briefs
- LAWBreaks offers students pro bono lawyering opportunities over winter break
headlines National
- 50 Years of Service: ABA has been a ‘stalwart ally’ for LSC funding
- ACLU and BigLaw firm use ‘Orange is the New Black’ in hashtag effort to promote NY jail reform
- Biden recalls time he bluffed knowledge of torts case and why he changed his mind about civil-trial work
- Lawyers’ ‘barrage of personal attacks’ on opponents started with tissue-box toss, appeals court says
- Longtime prosecutor resigns after judge tosses him from case, citing Perry Mason-type revelations
- 24% of law students expect to work in public service, survey says