Ambulance Company Worker Sentenced to Prison Term for Fraud Scheme

PHILADELPHIA—Ivan Tkach, 30, of Newtown, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 46 months in prison for his role in a scheme to defraud Medicare and the U.S. government. Tkach pleaded guilty January 10, 2012, admitting that he gave false statements in his application for reinstatement to the Medicare program in 2009 and paid illegal kickbacks to a secretary at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, all in relation to a private ambulance company’s involvement in a health care fraud scheme. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District William H. Yohn, Jr. ordered Tkach to pay restitution in the amount of $1.26 million to Medicare and ordered three years’ supervised release.

Tkach was indicted along with his boss Ilya Sivchuk, who was convicted by a jury in November 2011. Tkach was excluded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 2004 from providing services under the Medicare Program due to his prior criminal convictions, yet continued to operate Advantage Ambulance Company and drive patients in ambulances. Tkach ran Advantage with the knowledge of Ilya Sivchuk, who also made false statements regarding the nature of Tkach’s employment to federal agents. In addition, Tkach gave kickback payments in 2008 to a worker at a Philadelphia kidney dialysis center in exchange for patient referrals to Advantage. Advantage Ambulance has a new owner. Ilya Sivchuk is awaiting sentencing.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Morgan.