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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: (202) 219-9301
Regional Inspector General for Investigations Landrum R. Landreth, Jr.,
U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (OIG) announced that in
the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, a 20-count criminal
indictment was returned today by the grand jury charging JOHN E. MILLS, 48, of
Washington, D.C., with mail fraud and false claims as part of a scheme to
defraud the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Workers' Compensation
Programs.
The indictment charges that during the period 1991 until 1997, MILLS
submitted false and fraudulent rehabilitation bills. These bills were for
vocational counseling services provided to injured federal workers. The
indictment alleges that MILLS knowingly submitted inflated and fraudulent bills
for services that he never provided.
MILLS is the owner of United Counseling Services (formerly Universal
Resources Center), where he worked as a vocational rehabilitation counselor.
Since 1988, MILLS and his company were under a contractual agreement with the
U.S. Department of Labor to provide rehabilitation services to injured federal
workers. These rehabilitation services were provided under the Federal
Employees' Compensation Act.
The OIG investigation disclosed that MILLS collected in excess of
$711,000 from the U.S. Department of Labor. Based on a review of 14 injured
worker files, it was determined that 40 percent of the amount billed were
inflated or fraudulent. If this holds true for the remaining files, then the
fraud is estimated to be approximately $284,000.
The investigation was conducted by the Office of Investigations, Office
of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Attorney's Office
for the District of Columbia.
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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