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Guilty plea in Texas ambulance health care fraud

  • Originally published March 25, 2010 at 11:37 a.m., updated March 25, 2010 at 12:39 p.m.

DALLAS (AP) - An ex-supervisor with two Dallas-area ambulance services has pleaded guilty in a bogus claims investigation over transporting dialysis patients.

Shaun Outen of Aubrey faces sentencing June 16 after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud.

Prosecutors say the 32-year-old former employee of two companies, Royal Ambulance Services Inc. and First Choice EMS Inc., entered his plea Wednesday. Outen faces up to five years in prison, plus could be fined $250,000 and required to make restitution.

Investigators say Outen, who also was an emergency medical technician, was director of operations during parts of 2004, 2005 and 2006.

Outen acknowledged conspiring with two co-defendants, who face trial in April, to defraud Medicare and other federal programs. Prosecutors say nearly $1.6 million in fraudulent claims were submitted, resulting in payments of more than $500,000.