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Ronald Bret Hamilton, 49, of Pocatello, and Vanessa Cattanea, 36, of Charleston, West Virginia, were convicted Wednesday by a federal jury in Pocatello on multiple counts of health care fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. The jury returned guilty verdicts late Wednesday evening, finding Hamilton guilty on 55 of 72 counts and Cattanea guilty on 76 of 84 counts.
During the nine-day trial, the jury heard evidence that Hamilton was the owner and Cattanea the treatment director for Teton Family Services, a company that offered partial care for children. Teton operated clinics in Pocatello, Blackfoot and American Falls. The evidence showed that Hamilton and Cattanea knowingly and fraudulently billed Medicaid in excess of $250,000 for services provided away from the clinic, including trips to Yellowstone National Park, Bear Lake, and Salt Lake City, and for services provided by unlicensed staff.
Sentencing is set for February 22, 2010, at the United States Courthouse in Pocatello, Idaho. Hamilton and Cattanea each face a maximum sentence of ten years in prison on each count.
