DataBreaches.Net

Menu
  • About
  • Breach Notification Laws
  • Privacy Policy
  • Transparency Report
Menu

TX: DME Owner Convicted on all Counts

Posted on April 3, 2014 by Dissent

A case that included some medical ID theft for health care fraud:

HOUSTON – Andrea Michelle Tellison, 47, has been convicted today of 14 counts of health care fraud and seven counts of aggravated identity theft, announced United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson. The jury returned its verdicts this afternoon following three days of trial and less than two hours of jury deliberation.

Tellison, the director of operations, chief compliance officer and co-owner of Texas Durable Medical Company was charged in March 2013 with health care fraud and aggravated identity theft in relation to the submission of approximately $1.48 million worth of enteral nutrition and enteral feeding supply claims to Medicare.

During trial, jurors heard the testimony of six Medicare beneficiaries detailing that they did not need tube feedings and did not receive tube feeding supplies despite Tellison billing thousands of dollars for those items. They also heard from seven Houston area physicians who stated they did not order tube feedings or tube feeding supplies for the Medicare beneficiaries and that they did not authorize Tellison to use their names and UPIN numbers to submit claims to Medicare and Medicaid for those items.

The government presented evidence including many forms that had been signed by Tellison indicating that Medicare beneficiaries needed tube feedings and tube feeding supplies. However, evidence demonstrated she did not order those items for delivery despite billing Medicare for the 29,113 tube feeding supply kits.

Special Agents from the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) and the FBI testified that in a 2011 interview, Tellison admitted both knowledge of the false and fraudulent claims and the insufficient inventory for delivery to Medicare beneficiaries. A Forensic accountant from the FBI further testified that Tellison not only failed to purchase the 29,113 tube feeding supply kits, but that she also failed to purchase sufficient quantities of nutritional products for delivery. Various representatives from Medicare and Medicaid contractors provided supporting testimony about how these federally funded programs operate and the claims submitted by Tellison.

U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal, who presided over the trial, permitted Tellison to remain on pending sentencing to be held later this year. At that time, she faces up to 10 years in federal prison on each count of health care fraud and a mandatory two-year-term for each count of aggravated identity theft which must be served consecutively to each other and to any other prison term imposed.

The investigation into Tellison was the result of a joint investigation conducted by agents from the FBI, RRB – Office of the Inspector General, Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General and the Texas Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Julie Redlinger and Tina Ansari prosecuted the case.

SOURCE: U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas


Related:

  • Two more entities have folded after ransomware attacks
  • Data breach feared after cyberattack on AMEOS hospitals in Germany
  • Premier Health Partners issues a press release about a breach two years ago. Why was this needed now?
  • Theft from Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital sparks probe
  • North Country Healthcare responds to Stormous's claims of a breach
  • Texas Enacts Electronic Health Record Data Localization Law
Category: Health Data

Post navigation

← US charges 25 in Fla. in ID theft, tax fraud case
At least two states investigating data breach involving Court Ventures, an Experian unit →

Now more than ever

"Stand with Ukraine:" above raised hands. The illustration is in blue and yellow, the colors of Ukraine's flag.

Search

Browse by Categories

Recent Posts

  • Scattered Spider Hijacks VMware ESXi to Deploy Ransomware on Critical U.S. Infrastructure
  • Hacker group “Silent Crow” claims responsibility for cyberattack on Russia’s Aeroflot
  • AIIMS ORBO Portal Vulnerability Exposing Sensitive Organ Donor Data Discovered by Researcher
  • Two Data Breaches in Three Years: McKenzie Health
  • Scattered Spider is running a VMware ESXi hacking spree
  • BreachForums — the one that went offline in April — reappears with a new founder/owner
  • Fans React After NASCAR Confirms Ransomware Breach
  • Allianz Life says ‘majority’ of customers’ personal data stolen in cyberattack (1)
  • Infinite Services notifying employees and patients of limited ransomware attack
  • The safe place for women to talk wasn’t so safe: hackers leak 13,000 user photos and IDs from the Tea app

No, You Can’t Buy a Post or an Interview

This site does not accept sponsored posts or link-back arrangements. Inquiries about either are ignored.

And despite what some trolls may try to claim: DataBreaches has never accepted even one dime to interview or report on anyone. Nor will DataBreaches ever pay anyone for data or to interview them.

Want to Get Our RSS Feed?

Grab it here:

https://databreaches.net/feed/

RSS Recent Posts on PogoWasRight.org

  • Congress tries to outlaw AI that jacks up prices based on what it knows about you
  • Microsoft’s controversial Recall feature is now blocked by Brave and AdGuard
  • Trump Administration Issues AI Action Plan and Series of AI Executive Orders
  • Indonesia asked to reassess data privacy terms in new U.S. trade deal
  • Meta Denies Tracking Menstrual Data in Flo Health Privacy Trial
  • Wikipedia seeks to shield contributors from UK law targeting online anonymity
  • British government reportedlu set to back down on secret iCloud backdoor after US pressure

Have a News Tip?

Email: Tips[at]DataBreaches.net

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

Contact Me

Email: info[at]databreaches.net

Mastodon: Infosec.Exchange/@PogoWasRight

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

DMCA Concern: dmca[at]databreaches.net
© 2009 – 2025 DataBreaches.net and DataBreaches LLC. All rights reserved.