MIAMI--In another south Florida sweep, federal officials have charged 16 people with committing $101 million in DME health care fraud in Miami and Tampa.
Early last month, officials announced that 38 DME and infusion therapy providers had been arrested and $142 million in billing fraud uncovered by a Medicare Fraud Strike Force formed in south Florida. (See HomeCare Monday, May 14.)
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida announced the new charges, which resulted from joint investigations by that office, the FBI, the HHS Office of Inspector General, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Florida's Attorney General.
On May 22, a federal grand jury returned a 46-count indictment against eight defendants in a billing fraud scheme connected with Miami-based All-Med Billing Corp., which allegedly submitted $80 million in false claims on behalf of 29 DME companies from 1998 to 2004. Medicare paid the companies about $56 million for equipment that had not been ordered by a physician and/or had never been delivered to patients, according to a government press release.
Among the defendants are Abner and Mabel Diaz, the husband-and-wife team who ran the billing service, and employee Suleidy Cano. The Diazes were additionally charged with money laundering proceeds from the scheme.
Other defendants include Amry Garcia, Davel Hernandez and Rene Raimundo Hernandez of A-1 Durable Medical Equipment and Supplies, a Miami DME that took in $2.1 million from claims submitted by All-Med, officials said.
Jose Luis Palma Jr., and Luis Gonzalez of Simply Medical Services, Miami, were also charged in the indictment. Gonzalez was additionally charged in relation to another DME company, Premier Medical Service. Medicare paid over $3.7 million as a result of fraudulent claims allegedly submitted by All-Med on behalf of Simply Medical and Premier.
If convicted, each of the defendants faces a maximum of 10 years' prison time per count. The Diazes could get an additional 20 years on the money laundering charge. The indictment also seeks forfeiture of the fraud proceeds and substitute assets, including real estate of the Diazes.
According to the release, additional actions included the following:
--A May 22 indictment charged Jose Tomas Iglesias, Marco Antonio Marrero and Leslie Gonzalez of Bridge Medical Equipment in Miami with submitting $6.8 million in bogus DME claims last year for which Medicare paid $1 million. Iglesias was separately charged with laundering the proceeds by cashing or depositing checks and with identity theft by using another's Florida driver's license in the scam.
--Alejandro De La Victoria, the owner of Miami DME Precise Medical Services, was indicted May 22 for submitting $3 million in false Medicare claims last year and receiving approximately $1.4 million in payments.
--Maria Oliveros-Garay was indicted May 15 on four counts of health care fraud involving Miami DME Abue Medical Equipment. According to the indictment, Oliveros-Garay submitted approximately $3.8 million in fraudulent DME claims in 2006, of which Medicare paid $1.5 million.
--Mario Mira was charged with fraud in connection with Mario & Clara Medical Supply, Miami, which submitted $2.5 million in fraudulent DME claims to Medicare in 2006, the release said.
--Eduardo Ruiz was charged with fraud in connection with EZ
Medical, a Tampa DME. In 2005, Ruiz alledgedly submitted $5.3
million in false DME claims by using the Medicare identification
numbers of Miami-Dade beneficiaries. Medicare paid out $1.38
million on the claims, according to the release.
