Tampa, Fla.

The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida on Jan. 17 indicted eight individuals in a $25 million durable medical equipment fraud scheme.

According to the indictment, the individuals — most of whom live in Tampa, Fla. — allegedly submitted inappropriate claims to Medicare for DME the defendants did not provide, for DME that was not medically necessary and for DME that cost more than the actual products the defendants provided to beneficiaries.

Additionally, the defendants allegedly forged physicians' signatures and “laundered” Medicare payments “into off-shore bank accounts through other corporations owned or controlled by the defendants,” the indictment said.

Defendants in the case include Barry Haught, Ernest Sleeth, Fred Ford, and Teresa Martinez of Tampa, Renee LaChance Hunter Livio of New Port Richey, Fla., Thomas Nespeca of Odessa, Fla., Christopher Stursburg of Lutz, Fla., and Cherry Moody of New Orleans.

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