Benjamin David Danneman, 37, of Eureka has been sentenced to 57 months, or four years and nine months, in prison for using fake nursing credentials to get work at three health care facilities in the St. Louis area, the U.S. Attorney’s Office reported.
Danneman pleaded guilty in March to 13 federal charges, including health care fraud, Social Security fraud and aggravated identity fraud, and he was sentenced Wednesday (June 12) by U.S. District Judge Ronnie White, the report said.
In 2017 and 2018, Danneman used the name and nursing license number of an actual licensed registered nurse to obtain work in the St. Louis area. He used the false information to apply for employment through Favorite Healthcare Staffing, which placed him in the skilled nursing section of the Sherbrooke Village facility in unincorporated south St. Louis County, where he cared for three Medicare patients. Favorite Healthcare Staffing also placed Danneman at the Rehabilitation Institute of St. Louis, according to the report.
On Nov. 9, 2017, Danneman used fake credentials to apply for a job with Des Peres Healthcare LLC, where he was hired at a $68,000 annual salary as assistant director of nursing at the Quarters of Des Peres, a 122-bed nursing home, according to court documents.
At those health care facilities, Danneman was responsible for the day-to-day care of patients who needed skilled care, the report said.
“Ensuring that our beneficiaries are provided quality care by appropriately licensed providers is a top priority of our office,” said Steven Hanson, a special agent with the U.S Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General. “Individuals who steal the identity of licensed providers and then seek to provide services to Medicare beneficiaries will be aggressively investigated by our office.”
During the same period, Danneman used the names, Social Security account numbers, nursing license numbers and other personal identifying information of several people to rent apartments, obtain a driver’s license and apply for loans, credit cards and insurance in Kansas City, Chicago, Denver, Conway, N.J., Erie, Penn., Providence, R.I., and St. Louis Park, Minn., court documents show.
Danneman was arrested Feb. 6, 2018, after trying to cash two bogus checks, including one with a misspelled name, “Des Perres Healthcare LLC,” according to court records.
The next day, he attempted to open an American Express account with a $30,000 counterfeit check, court papers show.
Danneman is currently serving a prison sentence in Illinois for passing bad checks and attempted burglary in St. Clair County, as well as for possession of methamphetamine, ID theft, theft, forgery and other offenses in Cook County, online prison records show.
Assistant U.S. Dorothy McMurtry handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General and the U.S. Secret Service.