Florida Mechanic Sentenced in DME Fraud Scheme

A Miami Lakes, Fla., motorcycle mechanic has been sentenced to
more than 11 years in prison and ordered to pay more than $1.3
million in restitution for his role in a $5.4 million Medicare
fraud and money-laundering scheme. In December, a Miami jury
convicted Jimmy A. Soto, of a series of health care fraud and money
laundering charges stemming from false claims for DME. The claims
involved a Hialeah-based company operating as Med-Pro of Miami.
Medicare paid Med-Pro about $1.3 million based on the bogus claims
for items that were neither prescribed by doctors nor delivered to
patients, according to a press release from the U.S. attorney for
the Southern District of Florida. Soto was also found guilty of
laundering more than $1 million in Medicare money. Three other
co-conspirators have already been sentenced to prison for their
roles in the scheme, the release said.