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Print This StoryOhio Company Accused of Medicare, Medicaid Fraud
Prosecutor: Scheme Cost Federal Programs $26 million
POSTED: 1:42 pm EST November 29,
2007
UPDATED: 1:56 pm EST November 29,
2007
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- An Ohio company owner was charged Wednesday with defrauding the federal government of $26 million.Michael Cowen runs Active Solutions, which sold motorized wheelchairs to customers.Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Patrick Hogeboom of Virginia said the company duped people in nine states to buy the wheelchairs, when they thought they were getting lightweight scooters.The company’s scheme included manipulating doctors into prescribing the wheelchairs so the company could submit claims to federal health care programs to pay for them, according to indictments.Prosecutors said the company faces 32 counts of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, conspiracy to launder money, health care fraud, mail fraud, telemarketing fraud and wire fraud.Cowen’s business partner, Jan Michael Bliwas, pleaded guilty in September to conspiracy to commit health care fraud, telemarketing fraud, mail fraud and money laundering.He is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 20.An attorney for Cowen could not be reached for comment.Cowen’s company is located in Worthington, a Columbus suburb.Jim.otte@whiotv.com
Copyright 2007 by WHIOTV.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
