Bassett Healthcare Director Indicted in CPAP Fraud Scheme

An Oneonta man has been accused of mail fraud for actions that occurred when he was in charge of a hospital healthcare network.

Authorities said 50-year-old Kevin Harrington was indicted on two federal mail fraud counts.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Harrington had been executive director of First Community Care of Bassett in Cooperstown. The agency is a unit of the Bassett Healthcare Network.

While executive director, Harrington allegedly submitted fraudulent expense reports seeking reimbursement for the purchase of continuous positive airway pressure - CPAP - machines.

In the scheme, Harrington was said to have provided invoices to his employer that falsely claimed he had paid thousands of dollars for medical equipment that had not actually been purchased.

Federal authorities said First Community Care of Bassett issued and mailed checks to Harrington for reimbursement.

Harrington was arraigned on the charges on Thursday.

A news release announcing the indictment did not indicate how much money Harrington is believed to have received in the alleged scheme.

Harrington is described as a former executive director of First Community Care of Bassett. It's not known when he left the agency or how federal authorities learned of the possible fraud.

The FBI has been investigating the case.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.