Samuel Curtis III, who is the owner of Preferred Prosthetics and Orthotics, was ordered to pay more than $250,000 in fines and sentenced to over three years in prison this week for his part in a Medicare Fraud scam that resulted in around a quarter of a million dollars in fraudulent Medicare Claims.

For his participation with the FBI, Curtis’s prison sentence is eight months lower than the standard minimum of 46 months. In his defense, Curtis stated that he would give the prosthetic legs that he billed Medicare for to other people who were in need, but could not afford them.

Curtis, who took over his fathers Prosthesis business in Houston Texas called Team Orthodics and Prosthetics, began defrauding Medicare in 2006. However, shortly after this, payments from Medicare were stopped after a Medicare Investigation into fraudulent claims.

He then packed up shop and moved to Brunswick Georgia, where he purchased a similar business called Team Orthodics and Prosthetics and started over again. This was in 2007, but was also short lived, as the staff at the new business notified the authorities of his actions.

Curtis would expand operations to Arkansas and Detroit, using Medicare account information from patients to submit electronic bills to Medicare. In addition to Curtis, his office manager Cecil Risher, who is 36, received a fine of around $70,000 and was sentenced to probation for his part in the fraud. Another acquaintance, Birdie Leroy Revis, pleaded guilty some months ago and faces five years in prison, but has not been sentenced yet.