MONROE, Lousiana—United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that criminal charges have been filed against a West Monroe man in connection with an alleged durable medical equipment (DME) scheme to defraud Medicare. The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2024 National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action.
TAMPA, Florida—United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced criminal charges against nine individuals in connection with alleged schemes to defraud programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled, and to obtain controlled substances through fraud. The charges filed in the Middle District of Florida (MDFL) are part of the Department of Justice’s 2024 National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action.
NEWARK, New Jersey—A Florida man was sentenced to 96 months in prison for his role in a multimillion-dollar durable medical equipment (DME) kickback scheme, Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna, District of New Jersey, and U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe, Southern District of Florida, announced today.
MIAMI—A Miami federal district judge sentenced a fugitive to 87 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his role in a multimillion-dollar conspiracy to commit money laundering. The judge also ordered him to pay $3,709,860 in restitution.
BOSTON—A Virginia-based nurse practitioner was sentenced in federal court in Boston in connection with a $7.8 million telemedicine fraud scheme involving medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (DME), including orthotics such as back and knee braces.
BOSTON—The owner of Expansion Media (Expansion) and Hybrid Management Group (Hybrid) plead guilty on April 3 in connection with a $110 million telemedicine fraud scheme involving medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (DME), including orthotics such as back and knee braces.
COLUMBIA, South Carolina—Andrew Chmiel, 48, of Mt. Pleasant, was sentenced to nine years in federal prison for his role in a nearly $100 million scheme related to the payment of kickbacks and bribes in exchange for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (DME) orders.
SAN DIEGO—Anthony Duane Bell Sr. and his son, Anthony Duane Bell Jr., were sentenced in federal court to 65 months and 12 months and one day, respectively, for their roles in fraudulently receiving more than $21 million in Medicare payments and lying to cover it up.
TRENTON, New Jersey—A Florida man admitted his role in a durable medical equipment (DME) kickback scheme, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Steve Chicoye, 55, of Orlando, Florida, pleaded guilty on Feb. 29, before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
ATLANTA—Brett Weiner and Valerie Desalvo have been sentenced on conspiracy charges for their role in buying and selling fraudulent doctors’ orders used to obtain more than $1.5 million in fraudulent payments from Medicare.
ATLANTA—Simon Orobor has been sentenced for conspiring to pay health care kickbacks payments for unnecessary durable medical equipment (DME), resulting in more than $20 million in claims to, and $13 million in payments from, Medicare.
NEWARK, New Jersey—A Florida man admitted his role in a multimillion-dollar durable medical equipment (DME) kickback scheme, Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna, District of New Jersey and U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe, Southern District of Florida, announced.
WEST PALM BEACH, Florida—Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the arrest of Alan Swiss on charges of health care fraud and conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute.
COLUMBIA, South Carolina—Durable medical equipment (DME) companies Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc., Hill-Rom Company, Inc., Hill-Rom Services, Inc. and Advanced Respiratory Inc. (collectively, Hillrom) have agreed to pay $2.1 million to resolve allegations that the companies violated the False Claims Act by submitting false claims for payment to the Medicare, TRICARE, Department of Veterans Affairs and Medicaid programs.
GREENVILLE, South Carolina—Jeffrey Brooks, 40, of Clarence Center, New York, was sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. In addition to Brooks’ criminal conviction, last year, Brooks paid $850,000 in a civil settlement to resolve allegations that he provided kickbacks and caused false claims to be submitted in violation of the federal False Claims Act.
NEW YORK—Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Naomi Gruchacz, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), announced the arrests of Erin Foley and Ted Albin on charges of health care fraud and conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute.
LOUISIANA—A Louisiana man was sentenced to three years in prison for his role in a multi-year scheme to bill Medicare and Medicaid for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (DME).
MIAMI—A federal grand jury in Miami returned an indictment charging a Texas man for his alleged role in a $60 million health care fraud, wire fraud and kickback scheme involving the submission of false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (DME), genetic tests and foot bath medications.
LOS ANGELES—A South Bay woman has been sentenced to 180 months in federal prison for billing Medicare more than $24 million by submitting fraudulent claims for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (DME)—mostly power wheelchairs (PWC)—and PWC repairs, many of which were never performed, the Justice Department announced.
BOSTON—A Virginia-based nurse practitioner pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston in connection with a $7.8 million telemedicine fraud scheme involving medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (DME), including orthotics such as back and knee braces.
BOSTON—The owner of Conclave Media (Conclave) and Nationwide Health Advocates (Nationwide) pleaded 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.
MIAMI—A defendant, who was previously convicted of money laundering, was sentenced to a total of 90 months in federal prison for his recent money laundering conviction.
