BILLIONS OF DOLLARS ARE STOLEN FROM MEDICARE AND ULTIMATELY FROM U.S. TAXPAYERS BUT THEY ARE NOT UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS !!!!!!!





MIAMI-DADE DME AND CLINIC OWNERS INDICTED FOR USING STOLEN PATIENT INFORMATION IN MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR MEDICARE FRAUD SCHEME. ANTI IMMIGRANTS ARE NOT YOU GLAD TO KNOW THIS INFORMATION YOU NEED TO STOP BLAMING UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS FOR YOUR IGNORANCE AND PARANOIA.

R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Jonathan I. Solomon, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Miami Field Office, announced today the unsealing of eight separate Indictments charging six Miami Dade residents with health care fraud in connection with their use of patient information previously stolen from the Cleveland Clinic in Weston, Florida. The Indictments allege that the defendants used the stolen patient information to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare.

Specifically, the defendants are each charged with ten counts of health care fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1347. If convicted of these charges, the defendants, owners of various clinics and DME companies, face up to ten years’ imprisonment on each count.

The Indictments unsealed today are the culmination of an investigation into the theft of computerized patient files from the Cleveland Clinic’s Weston Office from May 2005 to June 2006. In September 2006, defendant Isis Machado, an employee at the Cleveland Clinic’s Weston Office with access to computerized patient information, wrongfully accessed the Cleveland Clinic’s computerized patient files and downloaded the personal identification information of approximately 1,500 patients.

This information included patients’ names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, Medicare numbers, and home addresses. Machado then sold the patient information to her cousin, co-defendant Fernando Ferrer, for $5 to $10 per Medicare number or other individual identifying information. Co-defendant Ferrer, in turn, caused the stolen patient information to be used by DME’s and clinics for the submission of false claims to Medicare.

According to the Indictments, the fraudulently obtained Medicare numbers and identifying patient information were subsequently used by medical providers in Miami Dade-County to fraudulently bill Medicare for medical services not rendered and medical equipment not supplied.

Case Summaries:

1. United States v. Remberto Sarmiento Perez, 08-20262-Cr-Seitz.

This Indictment charges Sarmiento Perez, age 45, of Miami, with using the Medicare numbers and identifying patient information stolen from the Cleveland Clinic to fraudulently bill Medicare between May and October 2006 for approximately $1,237,509 through Super Medical Supply, Inc., one of two DME companies he owned.

2. United States v. Remberto Sarmiento Perez, 08-20258-Cr-Ungaro.

In a separate case, Sarmiento Perez is charged with using the Medicare numbers and identifying patient information stolen from the Cleveland Clinic to fraudulently bill Medicare between May and October 2006 for approximately $313,684 through another DME company he owned, APR Medical Equipment, Inc.

3. United States v. Michell Gonzalez Benitez, 08-20260-Cr-Huck.

Michell Gonzalez Benitez, age 28, of Hialeah, owned a clinic named Premium Medical Care, Inc. Between May and October 2006, Gonzalez Benitez is alleged to have used the Medicare numbers and identifying patient information stolen from the Cleveland Clinic to fraudulently bill Medicare for approximately $1,291,267.

4. United States v. Julio Perez Ramos, 08-20261-Cr-Moreno.

Julio A. Perez Ramos, age 33, of Miami, was the owner of one clinic and one DME company, and is charged in two separate cases. In this case, Perez Ramos is charged with using the Medicare numbers and identifying patient information stolen from the Cleveland Clinic to fraudulently bill Medicare between May and October 2006 for approximately $538,416 through his clinic, Benefica Rehabilitation Center, Inc.

5. United States v. Julio Perez Ramos, 08-20257-Cr-Cooke.

In a separate case, Perez Ramos is charged with using the Medicare numbers and identifying patient information stolen from the Cleveland Clinic to fraudulently bill Medicare between May and October 2006 for approximately $1,331,715 through his DME company, RVM Medical Supply, Inc.

6. United States v. Yordano Ruviera Diaz, 08-20259-Cr-Seitz.

Yordano Ruviera Diaz, age 30, of Miami, is charged with using the Medicare numbers and identifying patient information stolen from the Cleveland Clinic to fraudulently bill Medicare between May and October 2006 for approximately $1,264,464 through his DME company, De La Torre Medical Equipment, Inc.

7. United States v. Lazaro Hernandez Hernandez,08-20256-Cr-Middlebrooks.

Lazaro Hernandez Hernandez, age 43, of Miami, is charged with using the Medicare numbers and identifying patient information stolen from the Cleveland Clinic to fraudulently bill Medicare between May and October 2006 for approximately $171,445 through his DME company, W.P. Medical Supply, Inc.

8. United States v. Ariel Gonzalez, 08-20263-Cr-Lenard.

Ariel Gonzalez, age 36, of Miami, is charged with using the Medicare numbers and identifying patient information stolen from the Cleveland Clinic to fraudulently bill Medicare between May and October 2006 for approximately $1,830,711 through his DME company, IMP Medical Equipment, Inc.

United States Attorney Alex Acosta stated, “I continue to be deeply dismayed by the ease and size of the frauds that we find in the Medicare system. Over the past two years, we have more than doubled our prosecutions. Prosecutions, however, are ultimately not the solution. We must take steps to prevent Medicare fraud.”

FBI Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Solomon stated, “Billions of dollars are stolen from Medicare – and ultimately from U.S. taxpayers – by criminals who use our money to fund their lavish lifestyles. Our message to those that defraud Medicare is that you will be caught and you will go to jail. The FBI and its partners have concentrated extensive resources towards combating health care fraud and will continue to develop new strategies and initiatives to put more criminals behind bars and save taxpayers money.”

Mr. Acosta commended the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In addition, Mr. Acosta commended the Cleveland Clinic for its quick response to the incident and for its cooperation with law enforcement throughout the federal investigation. These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Luis M. Pérez.