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Psychologist sentenced in fraud case
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| By: THERESE APEL, DAILY LEADER Staff Writer |
September 25, 2009 |
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A Brookhaven psychologist was sentenced to more than six years in prison Wednesday after being convicted on multiple counts of defrauding Medicare, officials said.
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Dr. Allan K. Hearne, a psychologist and owner of Brookhaven Psychiatry and Psychological Associates, was convicted in June of conspiracy to defraud the United States, health care fraud, obstructing a federal investigation and making a false statement to the Social Security Administration.
Hearne was sentenced Wednesday, said John Dowdy of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Jackson. He said Hearn was not only guilty of defrauding a government agency, but in the end, Hearne was stealing from American taxpayers.
"Here's the situation: in regard to these cases, you have a health care program such as Medicare that is funded by taxpayer dollars," Dowdy said. "It's like any other program that is funded by the taxpayer."
Hearne's attorney, Wayne Dowdy, did not return phone calls seeking comment Thursday.
Hearn was ordered to pay more than $545,000 in restitution to Medicare on charges of conspiracy to defraud Medicare, four counts health care fraud in relation to false billings made to Medicare, obstruction of a federal investigation, and making false statements to the Social Security Administration.
Brookhaven's Glenn Smith and Chris Thomas were indicted with Hearne as accomplices in November 2008. Smith previously pleaded guilty to making a false statement relating to health care, and Thomas pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to conspiracy to defraud the United States.
Justice Department officials said Hearne conspired to submit false and misleading patient diagnosis to the Social Security Administration and billed Medicare often, claiming he was providing health services on a weekly basis when in actuality he was seeing the patients only a few times per year. Hearne submitted more than $1.5 million in false bills to Medicare and received more than $600,000 in government funds.
"I don't believe there is anyone that pays taxes that wants other people defrauding lying, stealing and cheating a government entity to get the tax dollars that you pay in every week from your paycheck," John Dowdy said.
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©The Daily Leader 2009
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