Ex-Olympia doctor held on fraud charge

A former Olympia physician has been arrested in Madagascar on charges of health care fraud in Washington state.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, 38-yearold Dr. Antoine D. Johnson was initially detained in the island nation because his passport had expired.

After being detained, he waived extradition and was flown to the United States on Saturday. Johnson is expected to be taken to Seattle following an appearance Monday in U.S. District Court in Atlanta.

Local doctor deported from Madagascar to face health care fraud charges

A former South Sound doctor has been arrested in Madagascar and deported back to the United States to face charges of health care fraud.

Health care is a right in jail

Phillip Damon Arnold drunkenly hit three Lakewood police cars during a chase that ended with two bullets in his shoulder and another in his cheek.

It also ended with the taxpayers of Lakewood becoming the financial caretakers of Arnold’s medical treatment. The city’s reward for capturing him without injuring bystanders: a hospital bill of $138,000.

On Sept. 26, 2008, Arnold drove his Chevy Blazer toward a police officer, who responded with gunfire, according to police reports obtained by The News Tribune.

Renton women use stolen IDs for more than $2 million in student loans

Three members of a Renton were sentenced this morning in U. S. District Court in Seattle in connection with a bank fraud scheme that abused student loan programs.

The leader of the scheme, Leslie Y. Gordon, 36, of Renton, was sentenced to five years in prison, five years of supervised release and more than $580,000 in restitution. Gordon’s sister, Theresa R. Hardy, 21, was sentenced to 21 months in prison and five years of supervised release. The women’s mother, Kathy L. Hardy, 60, was sentenced to a year of home detention and five years of supervised release. At sentencing U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour said, “these were student loan funds for a very precious, almost sacred purpose.”

Members of the theft ring were arrested June 8, 2008, after being indicted for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. The women used other people’s Social Security numbers and identification information to apply for $2,234,000 in student loans. The banks were defrauded of more than $722

Cuts to health care services hit home

Health care services in Washington are set for a shake-up as the state’s medical safety net shrinks this summer.

About 40,000 people who rely on the state’s subsidized Basic Health Plan insurance will lose coverage in the next half-year as part of nearly $1 billion in health care spending cuts that the Legislature authorized. The cuts will hit hospitals, clinics and vaccination, drug treatment, public health, elder care and nursing home programs over the next two years.

Meanwhile, job layoffs over the past year are adding to the ranks of the medically uninsured, which could reach 866,000 this year, according to state Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler’s office. That boosts the estimated rate of uninsured to 13 percent, or more than 1 in 8 residents.