Medicare fraud

NEW YORK—Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced Anthony Cracchiolo was sentenced to five years in prison for conspiring to defraud the Medicare Program and for illegally possessing an automatic weapon as a convicted felon.

BOSTON – The owner of Conclave Media (Conclave) and Nationwide Health Advocates (Nationwide) has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty in connection with a $44 million telemedicine fraud scheme involving medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (DME), including orthotics such as back and knee braces and genetic tests. 

FLORIDA—Two Florida men pleaded guilty for their roles in a scheme to defraud Medicare by submitting more than $67 million in false claims for genetic testing and durable medical equipment (DME) that patients did not need and that the defendants procured with kickbacks.

The pleas came after four days of trial in the Southern District of Florida.

LOS ANGELES—A South Bay woman was found guilty on Tuesday, June 27 of nearly two dozen felonies for billing Medicare more than $24 million by submitting fraudulent claims for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment—mostly power wheelchairs (PWC)—and PWC repairs, many of which were never performed.

CHARLESTON, South Carolina—Deeana Burr, 54, of Charleston, South Carolina, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud.

HOUSTON—A 47-year-old home health company owner has been ordered to prison following his conviction of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Akintunde Oyewale, Richmond, pleaded guilty Feb. 1, 2022.

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that Christopher Margait was sentenced to 65 months in prison for conspiracy to commit health care fraud by fraudulently trafficking in orders for durable medical equipment (DME) such as back, knee, and wrist braces. Margait previously pled guilty to the charge and was sentenced before United States District Judge Denise Cote.

NEW YORK—Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced Matthew Taylor Witkowski was sentenced to 60 months in prison for conspiracy to commit health care fraud by fraudulently trafficking in orders for durable medical equipment (DME) such as back, knee and elbow braces. Witkowski previously pled guilty to the conspiracy charge and was sentenced before United States District Judge Denise L. Cote.

ATLANTA – Nagaindra Srivastav has been sentenced on conspiracy and kickback charges for his role in selling fraudulent doctors’ orders to his co-conspirators who used the orders to obtain more than $48 million in fraudulent payments from Medicare. 

LAFAYETTE, Louisiana–A federal jury has returned a guilty verdict against Kristal Glover-Wing, 50, of Broussard, Louisiana, for one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and three counts of health care fraud following a trial that lasted nearly four weeks, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. Dr. Gary M. Wiltz and Dr. Charles H. Louis were each acquitted on their charges in the indictment. Judge Robert R. Summerhays presided over the trial.

A Southern California man pleaded guilty to submitting false enrollment applications to Medicare that hid the real owners of a fraudulent hospice company, which then submitted over $3.1 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare.

HOUSTON—Two Houston residents—Caroline Zamora, 63, and Rommel Zmora, 59—are set to appear on allegations in an $8.7 million fraud scheme connected to a home health company they jointly owned and operated, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

HOUSTON—A 63-year-old Sugar Land resident has been ordered to prison for conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

MIAMI—A federal jury has convicted two Florida doctors for their roles in a scheme to defraud Medicare by submitting over $31 million in claims for expensive durable medical equipment (DME) that Medicare beneficiaries did not need and that were procured through the payment of kickbacks, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice. 

WASHINGTON (November 18, 2022)—A federal jury has convicted an Illinois woman for conspiring to defraud Medicare of over $6 million, according to a news release issued by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). 

MIAMI, Fla. (May 20, 2022)—VirtuOx, Inc., based in Coral Springs, Florida and operating Medicare approved independent diagnostic testing facilities (IDTF), has agreed to pay $3.15 million to resolve allegations that it submitted or caused to be submitted false claims to Medicare for reimbursement.

By Jonathan Mattise, Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (April 22, 2021)—State and federal authorities announced Wednesday that they have reached a $4.1 million settlement in a civil case that made claims of Medicaid and Medicare fraud against a now-shuttered pain clinic company and several of its owners, including a former state senator.