4 charged in SW Va. nursing home fraud case

ABINGDON, Va. (AP) — Four people associated with a southwest Virginia nursing home that closed in 2012 are charged with racketeering, mail fraud and other offenses.

According to an indictment, the defendants defrauded Medicare and Virginia Medicaid by operating without sufficient personnel and supplies at the Brian Center Health and Rehabilitation Center in Weber City. It also says the defendants defrauded vendors and employees and caused residents to live in unsanitary conditions.

Three of the defendants pleaded not guilty Thursday in federal court in Abingdon. They are 45-year-old Avi (AH’-vee) Klein of Miami Beach, Florida; 52-year-old Alicia Dietrich of Lancaster, Ohio; and 62-year-old Charles R. Menten of Wilton Manors, Florida. The fourth defendant, 46-year-old Vickie Cox of Kingsport, Tennessee, will be arraigned Monday.

A jury trial is set for Jan. 5.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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