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Press Release

Middletown Woman Indicted For Health Care Fraud

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Pennsylvania

HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that China Scott, age 45, of Middletown, Pennsylvania was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury in Harrisburg for Health Care Fraud.

According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, between November 2015 and January 2016, Scott provided home health care services to a disabled individual through her employment at Cool Waters, a home health care agency located in Dauphin County.  Scott allegedly failed to notify the agency that she is an excluded person, meaning that no payment could be made by a federal health care benefit program for services provided by her due to two previous health care fraud convictions. 

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and prosecution is assigned to Christy H. Fawcett.

Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

The maximum penalty under federal law is 20 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a $250,000 fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.

 

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Updated March 31, 2016

Topic
Health Care Fraud