Miami, FL (AHN) - Jafet Garcia, a participant in a massive Medicare fraud scheme, was sentenced to ten years in federal prison for his part in a massive Medicare Fraud, said R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida.
According to the court file, Garcia and his partners purchased four medical equipment companies located in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties, between February 2004 and December 2004. Gracia and his partners recruited individuals to pose as the owners of these companies. After setting up the companies, the defendant and his partners obtained patient and physician information which they used to prepare bogus prescriptions and certificates of medical necessity.
The bogus prescriptions and certificates purported to authorize the provision of various types of medical equipment for the named Medicare beneficiaries. In truth, the prescriptions and certificates were prepared by the defendant and/or his accomplices and contained forged physicians' signatures.
Garcia and his partners provided the bogus prescriptions and certificates to a Miami billing company for submission to Medicare. The billing company prepared Medicare claims which sought reimbursement for the cost of the equipment listed in the bogus prescriptions and certificates, even though such equipment was never authorized by a physician or provided to the beneficiaries.
Medicare processed the fraudulent claims and issued reimbursement checks which Garcia and his accomplices cashed at a Miami check cashing store. Garcia and his partners would submit claims through a particular medical equipment company for only two to three months, close it and then begin billing through another company to avoid getting caught.
The four companies used by Garcia his partners to defraud Medicare were Sunset Medical Corporation, King Medical Service and Supplies Corporation, Travelango Services Corp. and Clear Choice Home Health, Inc. During the course of the scheme, more than $9 million in bogus Medicare claims were submitted.
Acosta commended the investigative efforts of the FBI in solving this case.
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To report Medicare or Medicaid fraud call 1 (888) 482-6825 or visit http://www.usawhistleblower.com./
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