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  • 25
    Apr
    2013
    4:55pm, EDT

    Young guns: Philadelphia youths wanted in stick-ups

    View more videos at: http://nbcphiladelphia.com.

    By Vince Lattanzio, NBCPhiladelphia.com

    Philadelphia Police are searching for a group of kids who pointed a semi-automatic handgun at one girl and later assaulted an adult.

    Wearing a backpack, red T-shirt and shorts, a young boy was captured on surveillance video trotting up to a group of girls walking in the Tioga section of Philadelphia around 6:30 p.m. Monday.

    The boy, believed to be between 10 and 12-years-old, pulls the handgun out of his pants and points it at one of the girls. The young woman can be seen putting her hands in the air as she slowly walks across the street. Moments later, an older boy comes up to the child with a backpack and takes the gun away.

    That boy then walks down Ontario Street, drops to one knee and points the gun in the direction of a group of kids walking towards him. He then jumps up and runs towards the group brandishing the weapon.

    "He obviously has some kind of handgun. A toy, maybe, doesn't look like a toy," Philadelphia Police Lt. George McClay said. "The other guy is following the boy closely to make sure he gets that gun back, so I would never presume that it's a toy gun."

    Twenty minutes later, police say the same boys approached a 27-year-old man. Police say one of the boys then reached into his backpack, pulled out the handgun and said “Hey, buddy.”

    The man then ran into a nearby home and called 911 and the youths fled, according to police.

    Philadelphia Police say they are searching for three kids involved in the incidents. Their identities are unknown. Police believe the smaller boy is between 10 and 12-years-old and that the two others are between 14 and 16-years-old.

    The incidents come two weeks after two Philadelphia teens were shot outside Overbrook High School. Bernard Scott, 17, was killed after being caught in the crossfire during a fight at a playground across from the school.

    Two suspects were taken into custody in that case, but charges have yet to be filed.

    799 comments

    Ahh yes... Family tradition at it's best in the hood!

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  • 24
    Apr
    2013
    6:33pm, EDT

    Defense rests after one day in Philadelphia doctor murder trial

    Yong Kim / Philadelphia Daily News via AP

    Dr. Kermit Gosnell is seen during an interview with the Philadelphia Daily News at his attorney's office in Philadelphia in March 2010.

    By Andrew Rafferty, Staff Writer, NBC News

    Defense lawyers for a Philadelphia-area doctor accused of killing babies — via botched late-term abortions — presented their case and rested without calling any witnesses on Wednesday, handing the high-profile murder trial over to the jury.



    Follow @NBCNewsUS

    Dr. Kermit Gosnell, 72, faces four first-degree murder charges for the mangled abortions, and a third degree murder charge for a woman who underwent an abortion and died at a nearby hospital after being given a lethal dose of pain killers and anesthesia.

    On Tuesday, a Pennsylvania judge dismissed three additional murder charges after Gosnell's defense team argued that it could not be proven some of the infants were alive when born.

    Gosnell could face the death penalty in the case being heard in Common Please Court in Philadelphia.

    Prosecutors dubbed Gosnell's health clinic as a "house of horrors," where they say he repeatedly blundered late-term abortions. Abortions are banned in Pennsylvania after 24 weeks of pregnancy, but the district attorney's office has contended that Gosnell killed babies after they were born.

    Defense attorney Jack McMahon argued that his client administered drugs to stop the fetuses' heart in utero, and employees who testified they saw movement after the infant was born could only have been noticing be involuntary spasms, NBCPhiladelphia.com reported. 

    Eight other former co-workers, including Gosnell's wife, have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing for charges that range from third-degree murder to racketeering. Gosnell has been in prison since 2011.

    Reuters contributed to this report

    6 comments

    What's the problem? I thought it was legal to kill babies. This isn't news; That's why the mainstream media has been ignoring it, right?

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    Explore related topics: philadelphia, kermit-gosnell, abortion-doctor
  • 23
    Apr
    2013
    12:54pm, EDT

    Judge drops 3 murder charges against doctor Kermit Gosnell

    Yong Kim / Philadelphia Daily News via AP file

    Dr. Kermit Gosnell is interviewed by the Philadelphia Daily News at his attorney's office in Philadelphia In in 2010.

    By Dan Stamm and Maryclaire Dale, NBCPhiladelphia.com

    It took the prosecution five weeks to present their case against West Philly abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell and it took defense attorney Jack McMahon a couple of hours to knock a big hole through a critical part of their argument.


    Follow @NBCNewsUS

    Three first-degree murder charges were dropped against Gosnell after McMahon argued that "there is not one piece...of objective, scientific evidence that anyone was born alive" at Gosnell's clinic.

    Prosecutors have argued that the babies were viable and that Gosnell and his staff cut them in the back of the neck to kill them.

    Gosnell was originally charged with eight counts of murder. Seven first-degree murder charges are for accusations that he killed seven newborns. The third-degree murder charge is for the 2009 death of Karnamaya Mongar, a 41-year-old Bhutanese refugee prosecutors say received lethal doses of sedatives and painkillers at the clinic while awaiting an abortion.

    Read more at NBCPhiladelphia.com

    He also is charged with violating Pennsylvania abortion law by performing abortions after 24 weeks, operating a corrupt organization and other crimes. Gosnell was originally charged with seven counts of first degree murder.

    Gosnell, 72, still faces five remaining murder charges and the possibility of the death penalty if convicted of any of the first-degree cases.

    Judge Jeffery Minehart has not explained the reasoning behind today's rulling.

    Former staffer Eileen O'Neill is also on trial. The 56-year-old Phoenixville woman is charged with practicing medicine without a license, and taking part in a corrupt organization. Six of the nine theft by deception charges she faced were dropped today as well because the prosecution didn't present any witnesses to support those charges.

    The investigation into Gosnell's clinic began in February 2010 with agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration and the FBI who were conducting two raids on Gosnell's clinic in search of drug violations. Instead, they stumbled upon "deplorable and unsanitary" conditions, including blood on the floor and parts of aborted fetuses in jars. State regulators followed up with their own investigation, shutting down the Women's Medical Society clinic at 3801 Lancaster Avenue in West Philadelphia and suspended Gosnell'slicense.

    The case then went to a grand jury. Their nearly 300-page grand jury report released in January 2011 described Gosnell's clinic as a filthy, foul-smelling "house of horrors" that was overlooked by regulators.

    Prosecutors said Gosnell made millions of dollars over three decades performing thousands of dangerous abortions, many of them illegal late-term procedures. The clinic had no trained nurses or medical staff other than Gosnell, a family physician not certified in obstetrics or gynecology, yet authorities say many administered anesthesia, painkillers and labor-inducing drugs.

    The grand jury report stated furniture and blankets in Gosnell's clinic were stained with blood, instruments were not properly sterilized and disposable medical supplies were used repeatedly.

    Bags, jars and bottles holding aborted fetuses were scattered throughout the building, which reeked of cat urine because of the animals allowed to roam freely.

    State regulators ignored complaints about Gosnell and the 46 lawsuits filed against him and made just five annual inspections since the clinic opened in 1979, investigators said. Several state employees were fired and two agencies overhauled their regulations after the allegations.

    Gosnell has always maintained his innocence. He pleaded not guilty and has remained held without bail since his arrest. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty in the infant deaths.

    Prosecutors estimated Gosnell ended hundreds of pregnancies by inducing labor and cutting the babies' spinal cords and caused scores of women to suffer infections and permanent internal injuries, but they said they couldn't prosecute more cases because he destroyed files.

    Eight clinic workers including Gosnell's wife, a beautician accused of helping him perform illegal third-term abortions, have pleaded guilty to a variety of crimes. Three of Gosnell's staffers, including an unlicensed medical school graduate and a woman with a sixth-grade education, pleaded guilty to third-degree murder for their roles in the woman's overdose death or for cutting babies in the back of the neck to ensure their demise.

    In an interview with the Philadelphia Daily News after the clinic was raided, Gosnell described himself as someone who wanted to serve the poor and minorities in the neighborhood where he grew up and raised his six children, who include a doctor and a college professor.

    McMahon, disputes that any babies were born alive. He has suggested that the woman who died, Karnamaya Mongar, had undisclosed respiratory problems that could have caused fatal complications.

    McMahon has accused officials of "a targeted, elitist and racist prosecution" and "a prosecutorial lynching" of his client, who is black, and of applying "Mayo Clinic" standards to Gosnell's inner-city, cash-only clinic. He said Gosnell performed as many as 1,000 abortions per year, and at least 16,000 over his long career, with a lower-than-average complication rate.

    After about a week of jury selection, seven woman and five men were chosen along with six alternate jurors. The trial began March 18 and is expected to last about two months.

    Gosnell's former employees have testified that they were just doing what their boss trained them to do and described long, chaotic days performing gruesome work for little more than minimum wage paid under the table. An assistant testified she snipped the spines of at least 10 babies at Gosnell's direction, sobbing as she recalled taking a cellphone photograph of one baby she thought could have survived, given his size and pinkish color.

    Mongar's 24-year-old daughter testified about the labor-inducing drugs and painkillers her mother was given as she waited hours for Gosnell to arrive for the procedure. She said her mother was later taken to a hospital, only after firefighters struggled to cut bolts off a side door of the clinic, but she died the next day.

    Prosecutors wrapped up their five-week case with a former worker at Gosnell's clinic who testified that she saw more than 10 babies breathing before they were killed. The defense was slated to begin presenting its case Monday but Gosnell's attorney told the judge he was sick and went to a hospital for tests.

    725 comments

    Its a great day for baby killers.

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    Explore related topics: philadelphia, nbcphiladelphia, kermit-gosnell, abortion-doctor, gosnell-trial, kermit-gosnell-trial, philadelphia-abortion-doctor
  • 23
    Apr
    2013
    11:30am, EDT

    Second child of faith-healing couple dies after no medical care

    View more videos at: http://nbcphiladelphia.com.

    By Dan Stamm, NBCPhiladelphia.com

    A faith-healing couple serving probation for the death of their 2-year-old son is in trouble once again after a second child died.


    Follow @NBCNewsUS

    The 8-month-old son of Herbert and Catherine Schaible, fundamentalist Christians who believe in the power of prayer ahead of modern medicine, died last week, according to Philadelphia Police spokeswoman Jillian Russell.

    The couple have been serving a 10-year probation sentence in the 2009 death of 2-year-old Kent Schaible.

    At a hearing Monday, Philadelphia Judge Benjamin Lerner said the Schaibles violated the most important condition of their probation: to seek medical care for their remaining children.

    Read more at NBCPhiladelphia.com

    Authorities have yet to file criminal charges in the death of the child last week, after he suffered with diarrhea and breathing problems for days. But charges could be filed once authorities pinpoint how the boy died. An official cause of death is pending an autopsy, according to police.

    The child was taken to a funeral home by an as yet unknown individual and the undertaker alerted police, Russell said.

    In 2010, a jury convicted the Schaibles, who have seven other children, of involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment in Kent's death from pneumonia. The Schaibles were sentenced to probation over prison time. 

    As part of their sentence, the Schaibles were required to arrange medical examinations for each of their children, to immediately consult with a doctor when a child became sick and to follow the doctor’s treatment recommendations.

    During their trial, the Schaibles' lawyers said the parents were targeted because their fundamentalist Christian beliefs espouse faith healing.

    Pennsylvania law says parents have a legal duty to protect their children's health and safety, although the law does not specify if or when medical care must be sought.

    Prosecutors said Kent could have been saved with basic medical care -- probably even over-the-counter medication -- but the couple relied on prayer instead. Defense attorneys argued that their clients did not know how sick the child was, and their beliefs played no role in their decision.

    When asked for comment outside his Rhawnhurst home Friday, Herbert Schaible, 44, told NBC10’s Chris Cato, “We don’t want to talk.”

    1317 comments

    These people give Christians a bad name. How tragic for their poor children!

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    Explore related topics: philadelphia, prayer, nbcphiladelphia, faith-healing, herbert-and-catherine-schaible, dan-stamm
  • 17
    Apr
    2013
    8:20am, EDT

    Philadelphia dad accused of beating 3-month-old son to death

    View more videos at: http://nbcphiladelphia.com.

    By David Chang, NBC10.com

    A Philadelphia father has been accused of beating his 3-month-old son to death.

    Samuel Cabrera, 27, was arrested and charged with murder.

    Cabrera’s neighbor, Rashawn Reddick, didn’t hold back her disgust when she learned of the accusations.

     “It makes me sick to my stomach,” she said. “A 3-month-old innocent baby. It makes me want to cry.”

    Last Tuesday, 3-month-old Samuel Cabrera Jr., of the 600 block of North 63rd Street, was rushed to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in critical condition.

    Doctors say the baby had suffered two broken bones, a ruptured spleen and liver and that all of his abdominal organs had been crushed. The child later died from his injuries.

    When Cabrera and the child’s mother were questioned, sources close to the investigation say the couple gave conflicting stories.

    The mother allegedly told detectives they found the baby pale and unconscious. She claimed that the baby became bruised after she and Cabrera pounded on his chest while performing CPR.

    More news from NBC10.com

    Cabrera allegedly told police however that he was trying to knock the family dog off the bed and accidentally hit the baby.

    Sources told NBC10's Nefertiti Jaquez that Cabrera eventually confessed to killing his own child. He was arrested and charged with murder.

    Cabrera's 15-month-old daughter as well as three other children his partner had from a previous relationship also lived with the couple, according to sources close to the investigation. All of the children are currently living with relatives.

    Officials also say they spotted bruises on the 15-month-old girl and are trying to determine whether Cabrera also abused her.

    The mother has not been charged. Cabrera is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on May 1.

    441 comments

    There are no words to express what I feel about this. If this man is found guilty of his babies murder I WILL offer to inject the lethal injection, 6weeks after his conviction. He deserves no more than that. I don't understand the mother at all. Why was she not charged? You can't tell me she didn't  …

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    Explore related topics: us-news, crime-courts, featured, child, philadelphia, father, beat, nbcphiladelphia, samuel-cabrera
  • 16
    Apr
    2013
    11:43am, EDT

    Gosnell murder trial: Grisly testimony of abortions gone wrong

    Philadelphia Police via AP, file

    Dr. Kermit Gosnell, 69, is charged with murder in the deaths of seven babies and one patient.

    By Tracy Connor, Staff Writer, NBC News

    The trial of Philadelphia abortion provider Kermit Gosnell has entered its fifth week, and details of the disturbing, graphic testimony about conditions and alleged atrocities at his clinic are reaching the public and garnering more and more attention.  With many more weeks of testimony likely before jurors decide whether Gosnell is guilty of first-degree murder for allegedly delivering viable newborns and then killing them, here’s a primer on Gosnell, the case and his defense.

    Who is Kermit Gosnell?

    Gosnell, 72, was the owner and only licensed doctor at the Women's Medical Society in Philadelphia’s hardscrabble Mantua neighborhood. The clinic is not far from the middle-class area where he was raised by a gas station operator and a government clerk.

    As a young man, Gosnell was a gifted scholar who attended the University of Pennsylvania and Dickinson College. He earned a medical degree from Thomas Jefferson University but was not certified in obstetrics and gynecology. He was an early advocate of legal abortion and set up shop in his hometown in the late 1970s, The Associated Press reported.

    He has been married three times and is the father of six children.

    What is he charged with?

    Gosnell is charged with capital murder for allegedly killing seven babies who prosecutors say were delivered alive as part of a late-term abortion procedure. He is accused of snipping their spinal cords with scissors after delivery or directing his workers to do it. He could face the death penalty if convicted.

    "It was literally a beheading," unlicensed medical-school graduate Stephen Massof, who worked at Gosnell’s clinic, testified earlier this month. "It is separating the brain from the body."

    Philadelphia District Attorney via AP

    Karnamaya Mongar, shown here with her husband, died after a 2009 abortion at Kermit Gosnell's clinic.

    Gosnell is also charged with third-degree murder in the 2009 death of Karnamaya Mongar, a Nepalese refugee who prosecutors say was killed by an overdose of pain medication prescribed by Gosnell, and he faces a host of lesser charges related to the clinic operation. 

    A 2011 grand jury report alleges that Gosnell was responsible for the deaths of many more viable fetuses but could not be charged because the records had been destroyed. The report also claims that other women died or were injured because of his negligence.

    What is Gosnell's defense?

    The prosecution is still laying out its case, but in opening statements, the doctor's lawyer said Gosnell was the victim of a "prosecutorial lynching."

    Defense attorney Jack McMahon said he will prove that none of the fetuses were born alive, contradicting the testimony of staffers who said they were moving or breathing after delivery.

    He plans to argue that Mongar was doomed by a bronchial condition she did not report and had taken a tuberculosis drug in a possible attempt to self-abort.

    McMahon told the jury that for a high-volume clinic, the complication rate was below average and that Gosnell was providing a crucial service to an impoverished community.

    "Just because the place was less than state-of-the-art doesn't make him a murderer," the defense lawyer said.

    "This is a targeted, elitist and racist prosecution of a doctor who's done nothing but give to the poor and the people of West Philadelphia."

    It's unclear if Gosnell will testify. A gag order in the case prevents both sides from speaking outside the courtroom.

    What else does the grand jury report say?

    The 300-page document describes a horror show where abortions after the 24th week of pregnancy -- illegal in Pennsylvania and many other states -- were regularly performed in a filthy facility that reeked of cat urine, was splattered with blood and littered with unsterile instruments and broken-down equipment.

    Matt Rourke / AP, file

    The Women's Medical Society in Philadelphia.

    Untrained, unlicensed staff performed much of the work, from administering narcotics to severing spinal cords, the report said. Gosnell only showed up in the evenings -- and on Sundays, when he terminated the most-advanced pregnancies with the assistance of his wife, Pearl, the grand jury found.

    Gosnell trained his staff to do ultrasounds a certain way to make fetuses look smaller, but some were breathing and moving when delivered, staff testified. One recalled that after Gosnell snipped the neck of one born at 30 weeks, he joked that it was big enough to "walk to the bus stop." 

    Aborted fetuses and their body parts were stockpiled throughout Gosnell’s clinic in cabinets and freezers, in plastic bags, bottles, even cat-food containers. Jars with severed feet lined shelves, prosecutors said. "It was a baby charnel house," the grand jury concluded. 

    The grand jury and prosecutors allege the motive was profit: They say the clinic took in $10,000 to $15,000 a night, much of it in cash, and the later the pregnancy, the higher the fee charged. Gosnell also charged women a premium for pain medication that would fully sedate them, the report said. They found $250,000 in cash in his home after a raid.

    Is anyone else charged?

    Prosecutors charged nine others who worked at the clinic with crimes ranging from perjury to murder. Eight have pleaded guilty and many of them have testified or are expected to take the stand against Gosnell. 

    Four of them -- Massof, and assistants Adrienne Moton, Sherry West, and Lynda Williams -- pleaded guilty to third-degree murder.

    Gosnell's wife, Pearl, pleaded guilty to performing an illegal late-term abortion.

    Among those not charged is Ashley Williams, the daughter of receptionist Tina Baldwin, who was a 15-year-old high-school student when Gosnell hired her to perform ultrasounds, sedate patients and sit with women while they aborted overnight, the grand jury report said.

    Only one of the workers, unlicensed medical-school graduate Eileen O'Neill, is on trial with Gosnell, facing charges that include false billing and racketeering. She has pleaded not guilty.


    Follow @NBCNewsUS

    What led to Gosnell's arrest?

    Authorities say that in addition to the women’s clinic, Gosnell ran a "family medicine" clinic that had morphed over time into a Oxycontin prescription mill. Gosnell has pleaded not guilty to federal drug charges in that case.

    After the Drug Enforcement Administration and others began looking into the drug allegations, the probe uncovered the details of Mongar's death, the grand jury report said. A February 2010 raid revealed the "deplorable" conditions inside, report said.

    The remains of 45 fetuses were turned over to the medical examiner, and the grand jury said he determined three of them had probably been viable. However, on the stand this week, the medical examiner said he could not be certain any had been born alive and had to estimate how old they were.

    Why didn't authorities find out earlier?

    The grand jury report skewers the Pennsylvania Department of Health for not inspecting the clinic, the Department of State for failing to notice a pattern of disturbing complications emanating from the clinic, and the Department of Public Health for not issuing violations after an inspection. It also faults local hospitals that treated women for complications after abortions for not working to get the clinic shut down.

    The Associated Press contributed to this story

    Demos' Bob Herbert and Buzzfeed's Ben Smith share their thoughts on the politicization of the Gosnell abortion murder trial in Philadelphia. Sen. Chris Murphy joins to discuss the impact this investigation has on abortion and the changing views on this issue.

     

    851 comments

    nbc news is finally covering this event! where have they been over the last two weeks? Shamed into it by the alternatives to the MSM is my guess.

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  • 12
    Apr
    2013
    10:35am, EDT

    Teen bystander dies after Philadelphia playground shooting

    View more videos at: http://nbcphiladelphia.com.

    By Lauren DiSanto, NBCPhiladelphia.com

    A 17-year-old student died after being shot at a playground on Thursday across the street from his Philadelphia high school.

    Bernard Scott was an Overbrook High School student. Police say he was an innocent bystander of the shooting. Another 17-year-old, who was not immediately identified, remained in critical condition Thursday night.


    Follow @NBCNewsUS

    Police tell NBC10 that this all began as a fight between a group of teenagers around 3:45 p.m. at the Tustin Playground at N 60th Street and Lancaster Avenue. Witnesses say two people pulled out guns and started shooting.

    NBC10's Chris Cato talked with the Good Samaritan who found Scott in a blood-covered shirt, collapsed on the curb. Antoine Gardiner says he called 911 first, then rushed the teen to Lankenau Medical Center in his truck and wheeled him into the emergency room.

    "I'm just talking to him, trying to keep him awake. I'm gonna get you to the hospital, just take it easy," said Gardiner, who didn't hear that Scott died until NBC10's Cato shared the sad news.

    "Whew. Man. My heart just goes out to the family, I just wish I could have done a little more than what I did," said Gardiner.

    Police say a third teen who was shot is one of the suspected gunmen. After being treated at the hospital, the 19-year-old will be taken into police custody.

    The second gunman is 20 years old, police say, and they credit an eyewitness for helping identify him as the shooter.

    Sharletta Ambey tells NBC10's Nefertiti Jaquez after witnessing the shooting, she watched as the gunman took off running. Ambey says she went speeding after him in her car.

    "I proceeded to follow him, and as I got across Jefferson and I said to him, 'Why don't you stand right there and give yourself up.' He told me to mind my business before I got shot," said Ambey. She was able to flag down a police officer and point him out.

    School officials say it happened as members of Overbrook's baseball team were practicing on a nearby field and that players ran for cover. Some students were inside for after-school programs and the building was locked down until 5 p.m.

    Both alleged shooters remained in custody Friday morning.

    According to police records, there have been more than 50 shootings at recreation centers and playgrounds since 2010.

    Just last week, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter signed a bill banning guns at Philadelphia playgrounds and recreation centers. Violators would face a $2,000 fine.

    Parents of children at Overbrook high school recently responded to a school survey, with 20 percent saying they consider the area outside of the school "not safe."

    Famous alumni of Overbrook includes actor Will Smith and basketball legend Wilt Chamberlain.

    590 comments

    He told me to mind my business before i got shot What a little thug. Here's hoping he gets to mind a whole bunch of big dudes' business in his 5x9 at the state pen.

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  • 10
    Apr
    2013
    7:50pm, EDT

    Bogus ambulance rides cost Medicare real money, indictment says

    By Gil Aegerter, Staff Writer, NBC News

    The operators of an ambulance service illegally charged Medicare for more than $3.6 million in rides and services that patients didn’t need, according to a federal indictment in one of a series of similar cases out of the Philadelphia area.


    Follow @openchannelblog

    Anna Mudrova, owner of Penn Choice Ambulance, and operators Yury Gerasyuk, Mikhail Vasserman, Irina Vasserman, Aleksandr Vasserman, Valeriy Davydchik and Khusen Akhmedov were charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, U.S. Attorney Zane David Memeger said in a statement. Other charges included making false statements, aggravated identity theft and money laundering.

    According to the indictment (read it here in PDF), the defendants particularly targeted dialysis patients who needed multiple trips to doctor’s offices or medical centers each week but who did not require an ambulance to get there. The defendants are accused of paying kickbacks to patients or not collecting required co-payments, and of operating unsafe ambulances without required medical gear.


    In one instance, according to the indictment, the patient rode in an ambulance’s front passenger seat and smoked cigarettes during the trip.

    This is just the latest case of Medicare fraud involving bogus ambulance claims in the Philadelphia area, said Patty Hartman, spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

    A 37-year-old woman from Philadelphia was charged last week in a similar case involving more than $2 million in improper billing. And a couple days before that, two brothers pleaded guilty to 41 counts in another case. 

    15 comments

    Yes, the people who ran this operation need to go to jail. However, so do the patients who took the kickbacks and didn't need the ambulance in the first place. There's dialysis in jail.

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  • 7
    Apr
    2013
    11:54am, EDT

    Philadelphia Fire Department mourns 3rd loss in a year

    View more videos at: http://nbcphiladelphia.com.

    PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia firefighters mourned the loss of one of their own in the line of duty for the third time in less than a year, saluting the body of a veteran captain as it was carried from the ruins of a three-story building that collapsed underneath him during a blaze.

    At an emotional news conference late Saturday after the fire in the city's Fabric Row section was extinguished, Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers told reporters that the victim, 53-year-old Capt. Michael Goodwin, was his friend and "a ladder man. A firefighter's firefighter."

    "He's the kind of guy who looked out for his folks — a big guy," Ayers said. Goodwin had been with the department for 29 years.

    A colleague of the fallen firefighter, 28-year-old Andrew Godlinski, was burned on his hands while trying to rescue his comrade and is recovering, officials said.

    The loss came as the Fire Department prepared to mark a year since an April 9 blaze at a warehouse that killed Capt. Robert Neary, 59, and Daniel Sweeney, 25. They also died in a collapse, which came as they inspected an adjacent building.

    "We have a department that is wounded," Ayers said. "We have scars that are fresh, and indeed they have now been reopened."

    Saturday's fire appeared to have started in a fabric store downstairs before spreading to upstairs apartments and a neighboring boutique, the store's owner said. The proprietors of both stores told The Philadelphia Inquirer that everyone in both buildings at the time of the fire managed to escape.

    The fire's cause wasn't immediately known, but Bruce Blumenthal, the owner of Jack B. Fabrics, said he believes it started in a wall and may have been electrical in nature.

    Blumenthal said he smelled smoke coming from the basement around 5 p.m. and found a box of collars and cuffs on fire. He tried to put the flames out with an extinguisher, to no avail.

    Goodwin was on the roof of the building when it collapsed, trapping him inside. Godlinski tried to rescue him before a second-floor roof and two walls also collapsed, officials said.

    Goodwin is survived by a wife and two grown children, Ayers said.

    The fire cut power to more than 300 customers. The Red Cross is assisting at least 17 people.

    The Associated Press

    4 comments

    Historically this is the city of brotherly love. A Quaker named it that when it meant brothers in a religeous since...now it may have a different meaning,but Phillie has always been a city with heros and brave people.When Hollywood made the Rocky movies noone complained or doubted for one second tha …

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  • 6
    Apr
    2013
    3:47am, EDT

    Cops: Gang abducted, raped Philadelphia college student

    View more videos at: http://nbcphiladelphia.com.

    By Karen Araiza, NBC10.com

    Philadelphia's La Salle University has offered counseling services to a student who reported being abducted and raped on Easter Sunday.

    The school is also defending its decision not to notify students of the off-campus assault when it happened, saying administrators did not view it as an ongoing threat to their campus community.

    "This case is still very active," said Captain John Darby, who heads up the Special Victims Unit (SVU) of the Philadelphia police department.

    The attack happened about a mile away from the school. The 20-year-old woman told police she was walking on the 4800 block of 10th Street around 10 p.m.

    She said a black van pulled up beside her and four men jumped out, grabbed her and forced her inside. Police are not revealing where the men took her, but the woman told detectives she was sexually assaulted several times before the attackers dropped her off in an unknown location and fled.

    Police say the men are between the ages of 20 and 25. One had "MM" tattooed on his face.

    "We here at SVU take these reports very seriously. We have a very good working relationship with the University and we're in constant communication with them," Darby said.

    As news of the incident spread around campus, students like sophomore Karla Fernandez were concerned. "It couldv'e been anyone," she said.

    Read more from NBC10.com

    Some students complained that the school didn't notify them about the attack. Federal law requires universities to issue safety alerts and advisories when there are serious or ongoing threats to the student or staff. This specific case, did not fit those guidelines, according to the school.

    "Based on what we know, (which we cannot detail) it was decided a safety alert/advisory was not required, as we believed there was no serious or ongoing threat to our students or employees as a result of the reported incident," said Jon Caroulis, La Salle's Director of Media Relations.

    Four days later, the school sent out a Safety Reminder to students, notifying them of the attack and offering the following tips:

    Refrain from walking alone, particularly at night, in off-campus areas.

    Travel in well-lit areas. Avoid shortcuts through driveways.

    Report suspicious persons to Security and Safety or Philadelphia Police.

    Be constantly aware of your surroundings at all times.

    Use university shuttle and escort services.

    "This is a very pro-active approach," said Capt. Darby. "They took this opportunity to remind folks of the steps that could be taken to minimize risk."

    The latest crime statistics from La Salle are complete through the year 2011.

    They show that on the main campus, a total of 4 sex assaults were reported in 2011, none in 2010 and two in 2009.

    The bulk of student offenses are drinking and drug-related and most of that behavior goes on in the school's residence halls, according to the statistics.

    The 10-year trend is down for drinking, and up for drug-related cases where students were disciplined.

    La Salle University is located in the northwestern section of Philadelphia, on the edge of Germantown. According to the school website, the total student body is made up of over 7,300 students.

    608 comments

    The school is getting blamed for not releasing to the public that someone got raped, but what about the news media not even giving a description of the perps? It use to be the news media's ethical and responsible duty to report to the public current events that could affect the general well being an …

    Show more
    Explore related topics: campus, philadelphia, rape, featured, la-salle-university, nbcphiladelphia
  • 4
    Apr
    2013
    6:08am, EDT

    Cops hunt four men over repeated gang-rape of Pa. student

    View more videos at: http://nbcphiladelphia.com.

    By David Chang, NBC 10.com

    Police in Philadelphia are on the hunt for four men who allegedly kidnapped and repeatedly raped a La Salle University student on Easter Sunday.

    The 20-year-old woman told police she was walking off-campus on the 4800 block of 10th Street around 10 p.m. Suddenly, she says, a black van pulled up beside her and four men jumped out. They allegedly grabbed her and forced her inside the vehicle before driving off.

    Police have not yet revealed where the men took the woman. Once they arrived, however, the woman says they repeatedly raped her before dropping her off at an unknown location and fleeing the scene.

    More from NBC 10.com

    Despite the police investigation, the university did not notify students at the school since the alleged kidnapping happened a mile away from campus. University spokesman Jon Caroulis says, however, that officials met with the student and her family and "offered support."

    "This isn't something that anyone wants to hear about," said Karla Fernandez, a sophomore at the school. "It could've been anyone."

    Police say the suspects are four men between the ages of 20 and 25. The woman also told investigators one of the men had the tattoo "MM" on his face.

    Those with information on the case are asked to contact Philadelphia Police.

    271 comments

    If caught and found guilty. Just kill them. Just kill them!!!!

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    Explore related topics: pennsylvania, student, philadelphia, crime, la-salle, featured, nbcphiladelphia, college-student-raped
  • 2
    Apr
    2013
    5:40am, EDT

    Abused dog left to die while tied to rock in rising Pa. creek

    View more videos at: http://nbcphiladelphia.com.

    By David Chang, NBC10.com

    Wyatt Erb couldn’t look away when he and his wife spotted a dog clinging to life as they walked near a creek in north-east Pennsylvania, Saturday. The lab mix was tied to a rock while inside the rising water.

    “The leash was actually hooked to a stone in the ground,” said Erb. “It’s not something the dog could have done by itself."

    Erb quickly took action and went inside the Neshaminy Creek, in Bristol Township, north-east of Philadelphia, to get the dog out. Sergeant Thomas Gaffney of the Bristol Police Department believes the action saved the animal’s life.

    “She would have drowned more than likely if the water got high enough,” said Gaffney.

    Read more stories at NBC10.com

    Gaffney says the dog suffered years of abuse and had a tumor on her hind leg that was never treated. He also believes it was the owner who left her tied up inside the creek in an attempt to kill her.

    If the dog’s owner is found and has no history of animal cruelty, he or she could only be charged with a fine. Gaffney believes that punishment is not enough however. He vows to work with the District Attorney to stack charges of neglect and abandonment against the owner.

    “You could adopt it or humanely euthanize it,” said Gaffney. “You can do many other things but to do what the person did makes no sense.”

    In addition to the tumor, the dog also suffered eye infections and is extremely emaciated. She will be taken to the Bucks County SPCA later this week where she will be available for adoption. Police also believe the dog is between 8 and 11 years of age.

    507 comments

    you say owner , i say vile despicable criminal. what a loser the owner should be jailed. thank god someone had a kind heart and rescued the dog.

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    Explore related topics: pennsylvania, life, pa, dog, philadelphia, featured, animal-cruelty, nbc10, crime-courts, nbcphiladelphia
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