Wheeling woman convicted in Lisle hospice scam
A 35-year-old Wheeling woman is the sixth person connected with the operation of a Lisle-based hospice group convicted of health care fraud.
A federal jury convicted Angela Armenta late Tuesday on three counts related to charges that she and five others at the hospice group - including a Palatine woman - falsely billed Medicare and Medicaid for services patients did not need. She was director of nursing assistants at Passages Hospice in Lisle.
Evidence presented at Armenta's trial revealed she was paid more than $300,000 in bonuses from 2009 to 2012 for placing patients in higher levels of service that would be repaid by the government. Witnesses at the trial also said Armenta told nurses to disregard proper training practices in regard to general inpatient services.
Armenta faces up to 10 years in prison at her pending sentencing.
Her conviction comes just a few weeks after her former boss, Seth Gillman, co-owner of Passages, pleaded guilty to similar charges. In the plea, Gillman admitted Passages routinely billed the government for unnecessary services, according to court records.
Additionally, four other employees were convicted, including the hospice's former marketing director, who admitted he and others would offer gifts to staff at nursing homes in an effort to get them to refer clients' families to Passages. The gifts included tickets to events, electronics and gift cards, according to court records.
Armenta is due back in court in July. The five others are due back in court next week to set their sentencing dates.