Nov 22, 2002 By Steve Ferris 3 min read

The treasurer of the Brownsville Ambulance Service faces fraud charges for allegedly adding $1,750 to an insurance claim for a wrecked ambulance last year. Edward Stevenson, 45, 0f 201 Fourth St., Newell, was charged with insurance fraud, criminal attempt to commit theft by deception and forgery. He was arrested by an agent from the Pennsylvania attorney general’s office and was arraigned by Redstone Township District Justice Michael Defino. Stevenson was released on $20,000 unsecured bail and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 26.

Agent James J. Wabby of the attorney general’s insurance fraud section in Pittsburgh filed a complaint and affidavit of probable cause, which alleges that Stevenson added a $1,750 expense for storage to a bill for towing an ambulance that was wrecked Dec. 24, 2001.

Stevens allegedly added the purported storage fee to a $160 towing bill from S&K Towing and Repairs and faxed it to Selective Insurance Co. of Cranberry Township, the ambulance service’s insurance provider, on Feb. 4, 2002.

The bill was submitted after the insurance company paid the ambulance service $31,992.44 on Jan. 22 to settle the claim for the 1998 Ford ambulance that was destroyed after it went off a road in an accident in California and rolled over, according to the affidavit.

Richard D. Lenk Jr., a Brownsville Ambulance trustee and employee who was working the day of the accident, told the agent that the ambulance was towed to Weld Towing in California after the wreck and was then towed by S&K to his property at 1033 W. First St., Grindstone, on Dec. 26.

Lenk delivered a $160 check made out by Stevenson to S&K for towing the ambulance to his property, and said he was not aware of any storage fees until he spoke with Pierre Khoury, an investigator for Selective Insurance, according to the affidavit.

After learning about the $1,750 storage fee that was added to the towing claim, Lenk said he asked Stevenson about it. According to the aaffidavit, Stevenson said he made a mistake by adding the storage fee to the claim, but thought inflating the bill would help cover extra expenses Brownsville Ambulance incurred in the accident.

S&K co-owner Ken Williams told the agent that he did not charge for storage because the ambulance was never on his property.

Lenk said he never intended to charge for storage, even though the ambulance remained on his property through at least Sept. 6, 2002.

Khoury said he interviewed Stevenson on Feb. 20 and he admitted to altering the S&K receipt by adding the $1,750 to the towing bill for a total claim of $1,9600.

Neither Stevenson nor any other officials of the ambulance service could be reached for comment.

Brownsville Mayor Norma Ryan said she was shocked by the arrest.

“I’ve always looked upon him as a person who is excellent in managing money. I’ve always held him in the highest esteem,’ said Ryan. She noted Stevenson is a also a member of the Brownsville Historical Society.