59 individuals indicted in the Southern District of Florida in response to Medicare Fraud Strike Force investigation
On May 1, 2012, Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, John V. Gillies, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, Christopher B. Dennis, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and Henry Gutierrez, Postal Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Miami Division, announced that fifty-nine (59) South Florida residents were charged for their alleged participation in various schemes to defraud Medicare out of more than $137 million.
The charges in South Florida are part of a nationwide takedown by Medicare Fraud Strike Force operations in seven cities that resulted in charges against 107 individuals, including doctors, nurses and other licensed professionals, for their alleged participation in Medicare fraud schemes involving approximately $452 million in false billing. This coordinated takedown involved the highest amount of false Medicare billings in a single takedown in Strike Force history.
The specific indictments include:
U.S. v. Odalys Fernandez, Kelvin Soto, Yumidia Naranjo, Jose Guerra, Yanuris Lima, and Servando Raya, Case No. 12-20230-CR-Ungaro
In this six defendant case, two registered nurses employed by Ideal Home Health (Odalys Fernandez and Kelvin Soto) are charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud for purportedly providing services, such as skilled nursing and physical therapy, to homebound beneficiaries.
U.S. v. Eulises Escalona, Case No. 12-20293-CR-Lenard
This indictment charges Eulises Escalona with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to receive and pay health care kickbacks, and five counts of payment of health care kickbacks stemming from a $42 million home health care fraud scheme.
U.S. v. Rodolfo Nieto, Jr., Case No. 12-20290-CR-Altonaga
This indictment charges Rodolfo Nieto, Jr., owner and operator of Ronat Home Health Care, Inc. (Ronat), with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to receive and pay health care kickbacks and three counts of receipt of kickbacks for his participation in a $60 million home health care fraud scheme.
U.S. v. Maggie Leon, Yuderkis Pena Garcia and Eduardo Vilau, Case No. 12-20274-CR-Seitz
In this case, defendants Maggie Leon, Yuderkis Pena Garcia and Eduardo Vilau, owners of Leon Medical and Leah Medical, were charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and health care fraud for submitting false claims to private insurance companies that were Medicare Advantage contractors under Part C of the Medicare program.
U.S. v. Ricardo Martinez, Case No. 12-20316-CR-Martinez
This indictment charges defendant Ricardo Martinez with health care fraud and paying kickbacks to patients.
U.S. v. Yaquelin Colls, Pedro Colls, and Jesus Fernandez, Case No. 12-20315-CR-Seitz
This indictment charges defendants Yaquelin Colls, Pedro Colls, and Jesus Fernandez with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, substantive health care fraud, conspiracy to pay health care kickbacks, and substantive charges of paying kickbacks.
U.S. v. Roberto L. Valdes Gonzalez, Francisca Gema Valdez, Gilberto Faure, and Alberto Sotolongo, Case No. 12-20275-CR-Moore
In this case, defendants Jose L. Valdes Gonzalez, a/k/a “Roberto Gonzalez,” Alberto Sotolongo, a/k/a “Ruben,” Gilberto Faure, and Francisca Gema Valdes were charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and substantive counts of health care fraud in connection with the operation of Ilva Pharmacy, Inc.
U.S. v. Alina De Armas, Case No. 12-20282-CR-Zloch
In this case, defendant Alina De Armas is charged with health care fraud and with paying kickbacks to patients.
U.S. v. Isaura Bou-Melendez and Gricel Font, Case No. 12-20113-CR-MGC
In this case, Isaura Bou-Melendez and Gricel Font are charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Bou and Font, licensed therapists, owned and operated a comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation facility, Font & Bou Rehab Associates, Inc.
U.S. v. Maritza Claudia Fernanda Lorza Ramirez, and James Arley Velasco Gonzalez, Case No. 12-60090-CR-KMW
This indictment charges defendants Maritza Lorza Ramirez and James Velasco Gonzalez with conspiracy to commit money laundering and substantive counts of money laundering.
U.S. v. Orlando Conrado Piedra Jr., Case No. 12-60091-CR-KMW
This indictment charges Orlando Piedra, an accountant, with conspiracy to commit money laundering and substantive counts of money laundering.
U.S. v. Armando “Manny” Gonzalez, John Thoen, Wondera Eason, Paul Thomas Layman, Alexandra Haynes, Serena Joslin, Ivon Perez, Daniel Martinez, Raymond Rivero, Case No. 12-20291-CR-Altonaga
Armando “Manny” Gonzalez, John Thoen, Wondera Eason, Paul Thomas Layman, Alexandra Haynes, and Serena Joslin are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud through a company called Health Care Solutions Network (HCSN).
U.S. v. Sarah Da Silva Keller, Case No. 12-20289-CR-Cooke
Sarah Da Silva Keller is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
U.S. v. Alba Serrano, Case No. 12-20285-CR-Seitz
Alba Serrano is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
U.S. v. Bobby Ramnarine, Case No. 12-20288-CR-Middlebrooks
Bobby Ramnarine is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
U.S. v. Giuseppe Pellerito, Case No. 12-20292-CR-Cooke
In this case, defendant Giuseppe Pellerito is charged with conspiracy to receive health care kickbacks and substantive counts of receiving kickbacks.
U.S. v. Hassan Collins, Case No. 12-20286-CR-Moore
Hassan Collins is charged with one count of conspiracy to pay and receive health care kickbacks.
U.S. v. Jean Luc Veraguas, Case No. 12-20287-CR-Moreno
Jean-Luc Veraguas is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
U.S. v. Pablo Orama, Vivian Augustine, a/k/a Vivian Salazar, Ariane Marchioro Amorim, Jose Orelvis Ortega, Marlen Diosdada Garcia, Ivon Perez, Marianela Terrero, Jose Abreu-Gonzalez, Elba M. Caicedo, Carlos A. Herrera, Marisela Sherwood, Nancy Diaz, Daymi Fuentes Gil, Olga Martinez Rodriguez, Yuria Perez Rivero, and Joel Loyola, Case No. 12-20265-CR-Middlebrooks(s)
In this case, sixteen defendants are charged with conspiracy to pay and receive health care kickbacks and substantive counts of paying and receiving kickbacks in connection with a federal health care program.
U.S. v. Jorge Luis Reyes and Waldo Gonzalez, Case No. 12-14030-CR-Moore
This indictment charges Jorge Luis Reyes and Waldo Gonzalez, owners of a medical clinic that purported to treat HIV-positive Medicare beneficiaries at locations in Miami-Dade and St. Lucie Counties.
U.S. v. Manotte Bazile, Case No. 12-20284-CR-Lenard
Defendant Manotte Bazile, a former social worker and licensed intern at Biscayne Milieu, was charged with health care fraud conspiracy for purportedly treating patients who did not qualify for PHP treatment.
U.S. v. Roselyn Nicole Charles, Case No. 12-20283-CR-Ungaro
Defendant Roselyn Nicole Charles, a former patient recruiter at Biscayne Milieu, was charged with conspiracy to pay health care fraud kickbacks.
The full U.S. Attorneys Office press release is available here
http://www.justice.gov/usao/fls/PressReleases/120502-01.html
The attorneys at Fuerst Ittleman have extensive federal criminal experience at the trial and appellate levels, including fraud and health care fraud. You can contact an attorney for a confidential meeting by calling us at 305.350.5690 or by emailing us at contact@fidjlaw.com.