Former Summit Pointe CEO Charged With Spending $510,000 in Public Funds on Fortuneteller

The Michigan Health Care Fraud (HCF) Division has charged Ervin Brinker, 68, of Delton, with two counts of Medicaid Fraud Conspiracy and one count of Embezzlement by a Public Officer, all ten-year felonies.

Brinker was the CEO of Summit Pointe in Battle Creek until his termination by the Board of Directors on February 17, 2015.

The Calhoun County Mental Health Authority does business as “Summit Pointe”.

The State contracts with Summit Pointe to provide mental health and behavioral health services to Medicaid consumers. Summit Pointe’s provider network includes Barry, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph and Van Buren counties.

Last December after an internal investigation, Summit Pointe disclosed their initial findings to Schuette’s HCF Division for an investigation.  Summit Pointe records showed a total of $510,000 was dispersed by two separate contracts to pay a “health care consultant” in Key West, Florida between the dates of May 2011 and November 2012 for alleged consulting services.

As CEO, Brinker had the authority to contractually bind Summit Pointe without Board approval and he allegedly signed the fraudulent contracts without the consultation of other employees. Additionally, Brinker did not notify the Board of Directors of the alleged contracts.

The HCF investigation revealed that Brinker allegedly sent the $510,000 to a Key West psychic palm reader and her husband under the guise of health care consulting.

On July 22, 2015, Brinker was arraigned before Judge Richard Ball in East Lansing’s 54B District Court and was released on a $25,000 personal recognizance bond. Brinker is next due in court on August 12, 2015 in Ingham Circuit Court.