Tampa, FL - United States Attorney Robert E. O'Neill announces today that United States District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich sentenced Patrick Timothy Crisler (46, Inverness) to 30 months in federal prison for defrauding Medicare and Medicaid. The court also ordered Crisler to forfeit $455,537.30, which are proceeds traceable to his offense.
Crisler pled guilty on March 5, 2012.
According to court documents, Crisler, an occupational therapy assistant and owner of Active Life Rehab, Inc., was charged with health care fraud and aggravated identity theft for submitting fraudulent claims of more than $1 million to the Medicaid program. The claims submitted were for occupational therapy services that were either not provided at all, or not provided as billed to Medicaid.
Specifically, Crisler falsified patient records and knowingly engaged in "upcoding" by using the unauthorized Medical Provider Numbers of other licensed occupational therapists to submit claims to Medicaid for payment to Active Life Rehab. Crisler also submitted false claims to Medicare. In total, he billed or caused Medicaid and Medicare to be billed approximately $1.5 million. Crisler received $455,537.30 in unwarranted payments, as a result of his fraudulent scheme.
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