Podiatrist may head to prison [Detroit Free Press]

Nov. 22--CLARKSTON

A Clarkston podiatrist made more than $1 million clipping senior citizens' toenails. Now, he could go to prison for 10 years for it.

Richard A. Behnan, 55, a traveling podiatrist, pleaded guilty Monday to health care fraud, admitting he charged the government and an insurance company more than $1 million for nail surgeries, when he was mostly trimming toenails.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Behnan trimmed toenails for seniors in Detroit, Lansing, Bay City and Flint, but then billed the service as a nail avulsion, which is a surgical procedure to treat ingrown toenails. Behnan, along with his codefendant, assistant Kelly Morel, then submitted phony bills to Medicare and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, which paid the pair $1.6 million for a decade's worth of foot care.

The government's investigation revealed that patients never received nail avulsion procedures from Behnan or Morel, as they claimed. Moreover, the defendants billed Medicare for surgical procedures performed while Behnan traveled outside the U.S., authorities said.

Morel, 49, of Davison pleaded guilty in May to health care fraud following four days of trial. She will be sentenced Dec. 14. She faces up to 10 years in prison. "Health care providers should be on notice that the federal government is scrutinizing billings and will prosecute fraud aggressively," U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade said in announcing Monday's guilty plea.

Behnan also faces a $250,000 fine. He will be sentenced Feb. 23.

MT. CLEMENS

Hearing set in case regarding pregnant child

A man accused of impregnating an 11-year-old girl waived a reading of the charges against him during his arraignment Monday in Macomb County Circuit Court.

Trevaun Brooks, 28, of Mt. Clemens, who is charged with one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a person younger than 13, appeared briefly in front of Judge John Foster. The judge entered a not guilty plea to the charges and set a pretrial hearing date of Dec. 8.

REDFORD TOWNSHIP

2 sought in fatal fire arrested in Adrian

Two suspects are in custody after Redford Township police and firefighters discovered the burned body of a man when they responded to a house fire Saturday.

Both departments responded to the fire in the 16900 block of Garfield and determined it was suspicious.

After speaking to witnesses and viewing electronic monitoring devices near the house, detectives were able to come up with the suspects. Police arrested the two in Adrian.

Police said they are not releasing the identity of the victim until an autopsy is completed and family members are notified.

Michigan

LANSING

2 abortion clinics shutting down

A pair of abortion clinics in Saginaw and Delta Township, targeted earlier this month by Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette for improper operations and record-keeping, have closed their doors for good.

An agreement between Schuette and the owners of the Lansing Health Care Clinic and Saginaw Women's Choice Clinic to dissolve their corporate identity was filed Monday with the Eaton County Circuit Court.

The two clinics were cited for not operating under the ownership of a licensed medical professional as required by state law. Attorneys for Robert and Margaret Remund, the owners of the two clinics, could not be reached.

Republicans end efforts to recall Democrats

Michigan Republicans have halted their efforts to recall state Democratic lawmakers, a spokesman said Monday.

Stu Sandler, a consultant to the Michigan GOP who was organizing more than a dozen recall campaigns against Democrats, said the decision was made after discussions with Gov. Rick Snyder and other party leaders.

"We met our strategic goals," Sandler said. "We spent a minimal amount of money and gained thousands of contacts," and "I think the Democrats were clearly on the defensive."

Former state Rep. Paul Scott, R-Grand Blanc, chairman of the House Education Committee, lost a recall election this month after a campaign in which the Michigan Education Association teachers union spent about $140,000 against him.

Republicans filed their recall efforts after similar initiatives were launched against Scott, Gov. Rick Snyder and other Republicans.

Sandler got recall language approved against six state Democratic lawmakers and was facing a Nov. 28 deadline to file the required signatures.

Snyder had criticized the recalls as a waste of precious time and resources.

Mark Brewer, chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party, wouldn't comment on the MEA's recall effort against Scott, but said Monday his party's position is that recalls should be used for issues such as malfeasance in office, not policy differences.

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