The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

Local News

Related Photos

May 2, 2008

Detelich appeals conviction

By Joe Pinchot

HERMITAGE — The former Hermitage chiropractor convicted of health care and mail fraud has appealed his case.

Brent J. Detelich, 38, of Clearwater, Fla., formerly of Hermitage and Clark, was sentenced last month to 3 years in prison.

The appeal will not affect the start of Detelich’s prison term, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Shaun E. Sweeney. Detelich was granted permission to self-report to prison, and will be notified by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons of as the date and location to which to report, Sweeney said.

The appeal did not specify what issues form the basis of Detelich’s appeal, and his attorney, Robert J. Ridge, Pittsburgh, did not return a message, but Ridge left plenty of objections on the record that could conceivably become appeal fodder.

A long-standing argument between Ridge and Sweeney was whether government officials filed the indictment within the five-year statute of limitations.

Ridge claimed the alleged illegal conduct ceased prior to November 2000 — the indictment was handed down in November 2005 — while prosecutors, the jury and the judge concluded it continued into 2001.

At Detelich’s sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Joy Flowers Conti made three rulings against Detelich that affected his prison guidelines range, the advisory range that judges must consider before handing down a sentence.

The guidelines are based on the crime, past criminal history, and other factors.

Judge Conti ruled that Detelich had obstructed justice in two conversations with witnesses in which he tried to influence how they dealt with investigators. The conversations were recorded.

Judge Conti also concluded that Detelich did not play a minor role in the scheme to defraud Highmark Inc. by billing for services that were not rendered to patients of the former Detelich Chiropractic and the former Advanced Medical and Holistic, both of Hermitage. Detelich was the organizer and ring leader of the scheme, Judge Conti said.

Ridge also argued that Detelich had accepted responsibility for his illegal actions, even though he took the case to trial. Ridge said Detelich challenged two parts of the scheme outlined in the indictment that prosecutors ended up abandoning. With those issues gone, the only thing left to contest was the statute of limitations issue, Ridge said.

“We admit that he did wrong things and should pay for them,” Ridge said.

Judge Conti saw things differently. She said Detelich contested factual issues, such as whether fraudulent billings occurred.

“There was no acceptance of responsibility,” she said.

The guidelines recommended a prison term of 41 to 51 months, but Judge Conti gave Detelich a 36-month sentence in recognition of him ending his substance abuse, and the good work he had done helping people with business, personal and substance abuse problems.

Text Only
Local News
  • Recycling program a bit too popular

    The  county’s effort at going green by encouraging recycling in rural areas has been a tremendous success by most accounts, but isn’t without a few glitches. In Wilmington Township, residents often only have a window of a few minutes to get cardboard recyclables in before the bin is full, prompting a discussion among Mercer County Commissioners Wednesday morning.

    May 25, 2012

  • District will tap reserve fund

    Reynolds school directors plan to fill a $374,567 hole in the 2012-2013 budget with money from the district’s fund balance.

    May 25, 2012

  • School board mulls change to sports chaperone policy

    In order to comply with the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, the Sharpsville Area School Board is looking to adjust a chaperone policy it implemented six months ago.

    May 25, 2012

  • Afternoon crash hurts 3 high school students

    Three Jamestown High School students were injured – one seriously – when their pickup left a roadway in southwest Crawford County and crashed into a tree Tuesday afternoon.

    May 24, 2012

  • Board sells some, holds some

    Brookfield Board of Education members voted Tuesday to accept only the bids for the elementary school and the middle school, for a total of $97,050.
    The decision came after an hour-long executive session.

    May 24, 2012

  • Levey: Kohl’s project died with school vote

    Stripped of the necessity of voting for a tax incremental finance plan by Hermitage School Board’s unwillingness to participate, Mercer County commissioners said Wednesday they would like to meet with school board and Hermitage city officials to discuss other ways they can help Levey and Co. build a retail development in the city.

    But Levey spokeswoman Jeffrey A. Mills said there is nothing to discuss.

    May 24, 2012

  • Warden expects hectic season at county jail

    With the unofficial start of summer just a few days away, Mercer County Jail officials are preparing for a busy season.

    May 23, 2012

  • Levey officially drops TIF request

    Levey & Co. has officially ended its request for a tax incremental financing plan to build a retail development anchored by a Kohl’s department store.

    May 23, 2012

  • Grant will pay to fix 12-15 homes



    The City of Farrell will be able to fix up about a dozen homes in the city thanks to a $300,000 HOME grant from the state.

    May 23, 2012

  • Hard budget choices yet to come


     
    Hermitage School Board has been fortunate in many ways during the economic downturn that has been so hard on many other schools.

    May 23, 2012