Former Gallaudet Trustee Indicted In Nationwide Fraud Case

ROCKVILLE, Md. (WUSA) -- John Yeh, an inspirational 62-year-old deaf CEO who was a trustee at Gallaudet University from 1990 to 2007 is among 26 people accused in a nationwide fraud case that targeted federal funds set aside to assist deaf people in making phone calls.

Yeh, along with three officers of his Rockville-based firm, are accused of orchestrating thousands of minutes of fraudulent phone calls designed to trigger more than $2 million in reimbursements from a video relay service for deaf people run by the Federal Communications Commission, according to an indictment unsealed Thursday.

Video relay calls for deaf citizens cost nearly $400 per hour which is reimbursed to firms like Viable that provide the service. 

The video relay service is paid for by surcharges on the phone bills paid by Americans in order to make the nation's communication system comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Yeh's firm, Viable Communications supplies live translators, software and video technology for video relay service calls.  Viable employs more than 100 people, many of them hearing impaired, at its Rockville headquarters.  The future of the company is in doubt in the wake of the indictment of its founder.

Yeh was named America's "Deaf Person of the Year" in 2008 by Deaf Life, a magazine serving the nation's deaf community.

Gallaudet officials had no comment on the indictment.

Yeh is a resident of Potomac.

In all, 26 people from five similar firms in eight states were swept up in the indictment.

Estimated losses due to video relay service fraud are being counted in the tens of millions.