Contractor Guilty of Accepting Bribes for DME Accreditation

MIAMI—Manuel Delgado, 64, plead guilty to accepting cash bribes and self-dealing as part of a conspiracy to impede and obstruct the lawful functions of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in their administration and oversight of the Medicare program.

According to court documents, Delgado was a contractor for the Board of Certification/Accreditation, International (BOC), who performed inspections of durable medical equipment (DME) companies to determine if they complied with CMS quality standards. BOC accreditation was required before CMS would approve a company to bill Medicare for supplying durable medical equipment to Medicare patients.

Delgado accepted cash bribes from numerous owners of DME companies to facilitate and expedite the accreditation process so those companies could be enrolled with and bill Medicare. Delgado also formed DME companies in the names of family members in order to conceal his own personal interest in the companies. Delgado himself inspected these companies and obtained BOC accreditation and CMS approval for the companies. Delgado then sold the companies to others, having made them valuable as Medicare-enrolled suppliers of durable medical equipment. The estimated value of the fraudulently accredited DME companies that Delgado inspected was more than $1.4 million.  

Delgado entered his guilty plea during a hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ellen D’ Angelo, who will prepare a report and recommendation pursuant to a referral and instructions from U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore.      

Delgado faces up to five years in prison. Any further proceedings will be set by the court.

You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at justice.gov/usao-sdfl.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at flsd.uscourts.gov or at pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-cr-20006.