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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowA northwest Indiana businessman who pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $300,000 from two medical companies has been sentenced to 4½ years in prison.
A federal judge in Hammond sentenced Robert C. Bruns, 43, on Tuesday to a 54-month term. He had pleaded guilty in May to mail fraud and aggravated identity theft charges.
Prosecutors said Bruns defrauded Prompt Ambulance Service of Highland and InHealth of Valparaiso out of $316,450, The (Northwest Indiana) Times reported.
The FBI found that Bruns used a medical billing firm he owned to embezzle insurance payments that were meant to go to Prompt and InHealth for services the two companies provided to patients between October 2017 and February 2020.
Bruns arranged for the payment checks to be sent to his post office box, and he cashed them and used the money for personal expenses, prosecutors said.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly A. Kelley argued in a court memo that Bruns is a “serial fraudster” who has prior convictions between 2000 and 2012 for forgery, theft, attempted theft and identity theft.
Valparaiso defense attorney Brian N. Custy said in his memo to the court that Bruns has remained employed his adult life but has suffered from an undiagnosed attention deficit disorder that makes him impulsive.
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