Media Advisory: Feb. 18, 2009

Stinson Sentenced Following BWC Fraud Investigation

Loveland man practiced physical therapy illegally, forged billing and committed mail fraud

COLUMBUS - An investigation initiated by special investigators with the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) ended with today’s federal sentencing of Michael W. Stinson, owner of Reconditioning & Exercise Physiology Specialists (REPS) in Loveland. Last June, Stinson pled guilty to performing physical therapy on injured workers without a license, billing for treatment and services which were never rendered. He was also charged with mail fraud attributable to his fraud against BWC. Stinson was sentenced to 37 months in prison and ordered to repay more than $2.1 million to BWC.

“Injured workers deserve the highest quality of care from trained and licensed medical providers whose foremost concern is their recovery,” said Tom Wersell, director of BWC’s Special Investigations Department (SID). “We will continue to aggressively pursue cases like this that not only defraud the workers’ compensation system of financial resources, but more importantly, potentially endangers the recovery and safe return to work for injured workers.”

BWC began its investigation into REPS in 2004 after receiving information that Stinson was billing BWC using a former employee's electronic signature. During the course of its investigation, SID discovered that REPS was inflating the time spent with patients to increase revenue. Allegations also included billing for services in which patients were never seen. Various treatments were also provided by individuals who were not licensed in the State of Ohio to perform the services being rendered and billed.

In the course of their investigation, BWC agents made contact with Stinson, who admitted he was treating injured workers without proper licensing and using signatures of current and past employees. SID also learned Stinson was the subject of a federal investigation for tax evasion and began working with U.S. Attorney’s Office in a combined investigation.

In April 2008, Stinson was charged with one count of mail fraud and one count of attempted tax evasion and entered a guilty plea to both charges in U.S. District Court in June 2008. He has agreed to pay restitution of more than $2.1 million to BWC and $92,148.23 to the Internal Revenue Service.

To report suspected fraud, visit ohiobwc.com, or call 1-800-OHIOBWC.

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