Former Shelby County Residents Guilty In Health Care Fraud Scheme

      BEAUMONT, Texas – A Center, Texas couple now living in Elgin, Texas, has pleaded guilty to federal violations in a health care fraud scheme in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales today.
Cathy Harvill, 57, and William Harvill, also known as Bill Harvill, 60, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud on Feb. 18, 2014, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Keith Giblin.. 
According to information presented in court, the Harvills owned and operated North East Texas EMS.  From January 2007 through March 2012, the defendants carried out a scheme to defraud Medicare and Medicaid by submitting false and fraudulent claims for nonemergency, scheduled, repetitive ambulance services which did not meet Medicare program coverage criteria.
The defendants each face up to 10 years in federal prison at sentencing.  Sentencing dates have not been set.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the Texas Office of the Attorney General – Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (OAG-MFCU), and the U.S. Department of Labor – employee Benefits Security Administration (DOL-EBSA).   This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel C. Kummerfeld and Tom Gibson and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth C. McGurk.