Dallas business owners sentenced in Medicare fraud case

[Judi Lynn]

2:48 PM CST Monday
Dallas business owners sentenced in Medicare fraud case

Three Dallas residents who operated home health care businesses in Irving have been sentenced in connection with a Medicare fraud case.

Robbie Lesa Hames, Charles William Hames and James Michael Davis were sentenced last week. They were convicted in March on all counts of a 17-count indictment that charged them with various offenses related to their conspiracy to defraud Medicare, the U.S. Attorney's office said Friday.

The Hames owned a home health care nursing business called Alternate Care, in Irving. Davis owned Accelerated Home Health Personnel, also in Irving.

Government prosecutors said that between 1995 and May 2002 the Hames operated a conspiracy to defraud Medicare and concealed and maintained the funds for their own use. Testimony during the trial showed that the couple used some of the funds to refurbish their home on Northwest Highway and turn it into a "castle," complete with a painted dragon in the pool and Michelangelo murals pasted on the ceilings.
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http://dallas.bizjournals.com/dallas/stories/2004/12/20/daily8.html?jst=b_ln_hl

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Ah, ha ha ha ha. Looks as if the Dallas Business Journal lifted a lot of its story from this article I just found in google:

Government prosecutors said that between 1995 and May 2002 the Hames operated a conspiracy to defraud Medicare and concealed and maintained the funds for their own use. Testimony during the trial showed that the couple used some of the funds to refurbish their home on Northwest Highway and turn it into a "castle," complete with a painted dragon in the pool and Michelangelo murals pasted on the ceilings.

Hames, 46, was sentenced to more than eight years in prison. Her husband, Charles Hames, 53, and Davis, 51, were sentenced to nearly six years in prison.

They were ordered to pay restitution of $2.9 million, and Robbie Hames and Davis were required to forfeit property Irving, as well as $410,000 cash. Davis also was ordered to forfeit $508,000.

All three were convicted on at least one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, mail fraud and false statements. Robbie Hames also was convicted of obstructing a federal auditor. Robbie Hames and Davis were convicted on money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Davis also was convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and bank fraud.

The Hames were arrested in Spain, where they had fled with their children, shortly after being ordered to appear for testimony in Dallas in the investigation into fraud allegations against their company.
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http://subscript.bna.com/SAMPLES/mcr.nsf/0/02de086099817c3985256e630003db46?OpenDocument

(Wow! Easy money, right? Heck, I could write for the Bidness Journal myself!)

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What I want to know is: Are these rascals Republican campaign contributors? Bet they are.