A former supervisor in the claims department at Pittsburgh-based UPMC has pleaded guilty to mail fraud charges in connection with a scheme that involved submitting 156 false billing statements on the UPMC system and receiving payments totaling more than $184,000, according to a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette report.
The former supervisor, Francine Ann Priestas, was named as the sole defendant in an 11-count indictment in June. However, "others known to the grand jury" were involved in the scheme. Those individuals were identified in federal court on Friday only as "B.P." and "E.P."
Ms. Priestas allegedly generated billing statements, which falsely represented that she and others received medical services. She allegedly received more than $184,000 for the false claims she submitted.
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