Pa. Ambulance Service Owners Admit $2.5M Medicare Fraud

April 03--Two brothers who operated a Feasterville ambulance company, MedEx Ambulance Inc., pleaded guilty to overcharging Medicare by $2.5 million for the transport of kidney patients to dialysis who could have gotten there safely by other means, United States Attorney Zane David Memeger announced Tuesday.

The brothers, Aleksandr N. Zagorodny and Sergey Zagorodny, pleaded guilty to all charges in a 41-count indictment charging them with health care fraud, false statements in connection with health care matters, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, the prosecutor's office said.

Many of the patients, who were transported to and from dialysis three times a week at a cost of $1,200 each, were able to walk, the government said.

Sentencing is scheduled for July 2. The brothers face maximum prison sentences of 370 years, three years of supervised release and a fine of $10.25 million.

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