Thaindian News

MIAMI (BNO NEWS) – A Miami resident on Wednesday was sentenced to 22 years in prison for a Medicare fraud scheme.

Michel De Jesus Huarte was sentenced for various offenses including conspiracy to commit Medicare fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and aggravated identity theft.

The conspiracy alleged that Huarte and others controlled and operated six purported medical clinics in the Miami-Dade County. According to the indictments, these clinics submitted at least $50.2 million of false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for infusion therapy, injection therapy, and other expensive medical treatments designed to treat Medicare beneficiaries suffering from a wide variety of ailments including cancer, HIV, AIDS, chronic pain, and varicose veins.

Based on these fraudulent claims, Huarte and his conspirators were paid at least $19.2 million.

To conceal their involvement in the scheme, Huarte and his conspirators recruited nominee or “straw” owners for each company, and paid them large sums of cash to sign the corporate records, bank records, and other business documents.

The six purported clinics involved in the fraud were Zigma Medical Care, Inc., Tender Loving Care Medical Center, Inc, Professional Medical Health, Inc., Metro Med Care, Inc., San Diego Medical & Rehab Center, Inc., and Eulogia’s Diagnostic Medical Center, Inc.

Prosecutors commended the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service, Broward Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.