March 22--A federal investigation into a bribery scheme at a now-shuttered Skokie-based home health care business resulted in another conviction Tuesday.
A federal judge found Jenette George, 62, of Chicago, guilty of two counts of accepting kickbacks for referring elderly patients to Rosner Home Healthcare, according to the U.S. attorney's office. She also was convicted of conspiracy to defraud Medicare, the government insurance program for the elderly.
George became the 11th defendant to be convicted in the Rosner home-health fraud. The others include the co-owners, physicians, nurses and marketers.
George and her attorneys could not immediately be reached for comment.
George operated Ttenej Senior Referral Agency, which provided senior citizens with referrals to home health care firms in the Chicago area, the U.S. attorney's office said. She received about $500 from Rosner for each patient she referred. At her bench trial in October, prosecutors showed undercover surveillance video of George counting cash she received from a Rosner employee who was cooperating with federal authorities.
She faces up to 15 years in prison, the U.S. attorney's office said. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for Aug. 10.
According to the FBI, Rosner received about $13 million from Medicare between January 2008 and July 2012.
asachdev@tribpub.com
