Man faces charges of robbery, kidnapping

Man faces charges of robbery, kidnapping

BOARDMAN

A township man is scheduled for a preliminary hearing next Tuesday before Judge Joseph M. Houser in Mahoning County Area Court on aggravated robbery and kidnapping charges.

Elijah Hatten, 20, of Shields Road, was arraigned Tuesday morning after his arrest the same day. There had been a warrant out for his arrest. Investigators linked Hatten to a robbery incident at the True North Shell gas station July 20 after reviewing the store’s surveillance footage and the clerk’s description.

The clerk told police a man robbed the store on Market Street at gunpoint and stole about $280. After taking the money, he walked the victim out of the store and forced him to hide behind a nearby house on Indianola Road.

Fight at East High

YOUNGSTOWN

An East High School student was taken to a hospital Wednesday afternoon after police said he was involved in a fight on East High Avenue just after dismissal.

Police were called to the area of East High and Bennington avenues about 3 p.m. for a report of a fight and a large crowd. When they arrived, they found a male student injured, and the person police said fought him ran into a wooded area.

Officers chased the person but could not catch him.

Paying to settle suit

PITTSBURGH

Dr. John P. Balko and John Balko & Associates Inc., doing business as Senior Healthcare Associates in Mercer County, have agreed to pay the United States $930,000 to settle False Claims Act allegations, the U.S. attorney said Tuesday.

The settlement resolves accusations that Dr. Balko and SHA violated the False Claims Act by submitting false claims for payment to the Medicare program.

Specifically, the government alleged Dr. Balko and SHA submitted claims for services provided to nursing home residents – including earwax removal, podiatry and certain evaluation and management services – which were not medically necessary, not authorized or requested by patients, not supported by patient medical records or were provided in reliance upon improper standing orders.

This matter was investigated by the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Aggravated menacing

BOARDMAN

A township man faces an aggravated-menacing charge after a domestic dispute incident Tuesday night.

While holding a knife, Alfredo Ortiz, 40, of Southern Boulevard, reportedly threatened his neighbor’s life, according to a police report.

The confrontation started when the neighbor complained to Ortiz and his wife about their loud music. The victim said he also seemed intoxicated.

Ortiz denies a knife was used that night, but police found a knife fitting the victim’s description of it in the suspect’s home.

He was arrested and taken to the Mahoning County jail awaiting arraignment Friday morning in area court.

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