YMCA CEO Cousineau is leaving Sumter A7
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THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013 | SUMTER, SOUTH CAROLINA
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Prosecution closes case against Tuomey BY BRADEN BUNCH bbunch@theitem.com COLUMBIA — Nearly 26,000 Medicare claims made by Tuomey Healthcare System between 2005 and 2009 — totaling nearly $44.9 million — were entered into evidence by federal prosecutors as the last portion of their case in the lawsuit against the Sumter hospital Wednesday.
By bringing the totals of the medical payments into the record, the federal government officially established the level of damages it can attempt to collect from Tuomey, which is on trial for, prosecutors say, signing 19 local doctors to illegal part-time contracts. Federal attorneys are hoping to convince the jury that Tuomey knowingly signed the
local doctors to contracts above fair market value, creating an illegal kickback, thereby violating Stark Law and the False Claims Act. Ruben Steck — president of Steck Consulting, whose company tabulated the Medi-
care claims for the federal Department of Justice — said his company calculated the figures after sifting through more than 320,000 individual Medicare claims made by the hospital from 2005 to 2009.
While the figures ultimately came into evidence, it wasn’t until after Tuomey’s legal defense team vigorously challenged the qualifications of Steck. Federal prosecutors initially presented Steck to the court as an expert witness, but this was immediately challenged by Tuomey’s defense team. After hearing SEE TUOMEY, PAGE A10
City works to balance ’14 budget
PINEWOOD
DERBY
BY KEN BELL Special To The Item The good news is the city of Sumter has projected revenues of almost $55.4 million in its Fiscal Year 2014 Budget that begins July 1. The bad news is the city has proposed expenditures of more than $56.2 million. So between now and June 30, it must find a way to satisfy its projected shortfall of McELVEEN $881,381. So Mayor Joseph McElveen and Sumter City Council met with City Manager Deron McCormick and his staff in a budget workshop McCORMICK Tuesday to try to find a way to balance the numbers. McCormick said the initial budget proposal showed a $3.5 million deficit. “It’s not atypical for this time of the budget year,” he said. “There are some definite needs, but we have to be good stewards of our funds as well.” Council members discussed several issues that contributed to the shortfall. McElveen said one area of concern is the $514,420 stormwater fund. He said both the city and the county waited as long as they could before implementing a charge to residents. “A lot of people don’t understand that this fund is a federal mandate,” he said. “We’re going to have to do something with that. The EPA (Environmental
ABOVE: Cub Scout Edward Mack places his car “Python” on the track before the heat race in the Pinewood Derby on Saturday at Sumter Mall. The Pinewood Derby was started by Cubmaster Donald Murphy, and the first one was held in 1953 by Cub Scout Pack 280C of Manhattan Beach, Calif., according to pinewoodderby.org. It was publicized in Boys’ Life, the monthly magazine of the Boy Scouts of America, in October 1954, and spread from there, the website states. LEFT: Weblo Alex Wodicka celebrates a win in his heat race.
PHOTOS BY KEITH GEDAMKE / SPECIAL TO THE ITEM
SEE CITY BUDGET, PAGE A8
New technology will help track stolen vehicles BY BRISTOW MARCHANT bmarchant@theitem.com Imagine a police officer riding his usual beat in his patrol car, when the car itself
alerts him to the fact that a stolen vehicle is nearby. Law enforcement officers in Sumter recently got their first chance to test some onboard technology that would allow
them to do just that. Both the Sumter Police Department and the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office received training in using the LoJack recovery system to track stolen vehicles
20 N. Magnolia St. Sumter, SC 29150 (USPS 525-900)
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tomers with the officers tasked with locating their LoJack-equipped vehicles. “We work with agencies in SEE LOJACK, PAGE A8
OUTSIDE
DEATHS Information: 774-1200 Advertising: 774-1236 Classifieds: 774-1234 Delivery: 774-1258 News, Sports: 774-1226
and hopefully reunite residents with their property. LoJack is distributing the technology free of charge to agencies across the country to better connect their cus-
Rodney P. Liverman Peggy S. Cook David Jackson Flossie D. Ludd Deloris McConico B5
INSIDE
CLOUDY START Sunshine this afternoon; clear and cooler tonight HIGH: 73 LOW: 48 A8
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