July 17, 2007 - United States Attorney Patrick L. Meehan today announced that an indictment* was returned charging three family members with conspiring to, and carrying out a mail fraud scheme, in connection with submitting fraudulent Fen-Phen claims. Cheryl Barnett, Vernon Barnett and Nelia Bee were charged with conspiring to commit mail fraud in connection with their submission for each of them of a Fen-Phen claim and with Cheryl Barnett’s filing of a Fen-Phen lawsuit. The indictment charges one count in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349 and eight counts in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1341. These charges arise out of claims that the three Texas residents filed between May 2002 and May 2005 with the American Home Product Settlement Trust in Philadelphia.
DEFENDANT |
ADDRESS |
AGE [Date of Birth] |
Cheryl Barnett |
San Antonio, TX |
47 years old |
Vernon Barnett |
San Antonio, TX |
44 years old |
Nelia Bee |
San Antonio, TX |
68 years old |
If convicted the defendants face maximum possible sentences of 20 years per count, 5 years of supervised release, $250,000 fine and $100 special assessment per count.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and has been assigned to AUSA Paul G. Shapiro.
| UNITED
STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE EASTERN DISTRICT, PENNSYLVANIA Suite 1250, 615 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19106 |
Contact: RICH MANIERI Media Contact 215.861.8525 |
*An Indictment or Information is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Benjamin Franklin Photo by B. Krist for the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation