FBI Raid on AEL in MO
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FBI Raid on AEL in MO
This may spark interest for the US HEMS industry
http://www.ky3.com/news/7655142.html
FBI raids helicopter ambulance company in West Plains
by Michelle Sherwood, KY3 News
Click here to download Flash.
WEST PLAINS, Mo. -- The FBI showed up on the doorstep of an air ambulance provider based in West Plains on Wednesday. With at least four warrants in hand, they sent a number of Air Evac employees home and told them not to come back until Thursday.
Nearly 50 FBI agents were in West Plains but neither the FBI nor the U.S. attorney’s office would say why. A reporter saw several agents at one of the Air Evac sites, where the company supposedly does billing.
None of the officials would specify why the FBI served the search warrant on Air Evac; those records are sealed. However, the FBI did say it investigates such things as billing problems, billing irregularities and fraud in government contracts and programs.
“It's obvious we're in town; we are confirming that we're doing a search warrant,” said Monte Strait, an FBI special agent-in-charge.
Many people in West Plains think they know the reason for the raids, and are talking about their ideas openly, even on a radio station in the town. Still, no official source would confirm a reason.
A representative of Air Evac says the ambulance helicopters are still operating.
Story Created: May 23, 2007 at 5:35 PM CDT
Story Updated: May 23, 2007 at 6:35 PM CDT
http://www.ky3.com/news/7655142.html
FBI raids helicopter ambulance company in West Plains
by Michelle Sherwood, KY3 News
Click here to download Flash.
WEST PLAINS, Mo. -- The FBI showed up on the doorstep of an air ambulance provider based in West Plains on Wednesday. With at least four warrants in hand, they sent a number of Air Evac employees home and told them not to come back until Thursday.
Nearly 50 FBI agents were in West Plains but neither the FBI nor the U.S. attorney’s office would say why. A reporter saw several agents at one of the Air Evac sites, where the company supposedly does billing.
None of the officials would specify why the FBI served the search warrant on Air Evac; those records are sealed. However, the FBI did say it investigates such things as billing problems, billing irregularities and fraud in government contracts and programs.
“It's obvious we're in town; we are confirming that we're doing a search warrant,” said Monte Strait, an FBI special agent-in-charge.
Many people in West Plains think they know the reason for the raids, and are talking about their ideas openly, even on a radio station in the town. Still, no official source would confirm a reason.
A representative of Air Evac says the ambulance helicopters are still operating.
Story Created: May 23, 2007 at 5:35 PM CDT
Story Updated: May 23, 2007 at 6:35 PM CDT
