Three supporting players in an alleged Medicare fraud empire pleaded guilty to defrauding the agency

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Miami Herald

Three supporting players in an alleged Medicare fraud empire pleaded guilty to defrauding the agency
Posted on Mon, Sep. 01, 2008
BY JAY WEAVER
[e-mail]

A trio of supporting players in a local Medicare racket have pleaded guilty to charges of fleecing millions from the federal health insurance program.

The group -- a physician, a clinic administrator and a money launderer -- admitted in separate plea deals last week that they aided an elaborate conspiracy to bill $110 million in false Medicare claims.

Authorities say the ringleaders are three brothers -- Carlos, Luis and Jose Benitez -- who are suspected of operating about a dozen HIV-infusion clinics that collected $84 million in Medicare payments between 2001 and 2004. They fled to Cuba before their fraud indictment was unsealed in June, according to the FBI.

But others involved in their alleged Medicare scam, which authorities said included a vast network of straw owners, professional patients and kickback payments, are cutting plea deals and cooperating with prosecutors in bids to limit their prison time.



Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/story/667623.html

[Doctor_J]

1. This is stupid

Bill Frist became a multimillionaire by legally bilking Medicare

[WriteDown]

2. 110 million?

I sometimes wonder why I even try to make an honest living.