White collar crimes: 70-year-old man pleads guilty to fraud

On Behalf of | Nov 28, 2017 | White Collar Crimes

Along with 11 others, a Florida man pleaded guilty in federal court to his role in a $63 million fraud scheme. Authorities say these white collar crimes were conducted between Jan. 2006 and June 2012. The scheme involved a mental health clinic in Miami that no longer exists.

The 70-year-old Boca Raton man admitted in court that he referred individuals in Miami Dade to report to the mental health clinic. He admitted that these people did not need the treatment for which he referred them. He further admitted to receiving money in exchange for these referrals — the total estimated to be between $9.5 and $25 million. 

The defendant also acknowledged to the court that he knew some of the referred patients did not meet the criteria necessary to qualify for the partial hospitalization program. Federal prosecutors also said the man was put on the payroll of the mental health clinic to make the payments to him appear legitimate. The other defendants who pleaded guilty include the clinic owner, some administrators and patient brokers. Sentencing the Boca Raton man is scheduled for the end of Jan. 2018.

Florida residents who are accused of white collar crimes may benefit from discussing their situations with an experienced criminal defense attorney before they enter a plea in federal court. A lawyer can examine the charges and the evidence before suggesting the most appropriate way to proceed. While this individual pleaded guilty to getting health care kickbacks and to defrauding the United States, the plea was likely the result of negotiations between defendant’s legal counsel and federal prosecutors. 

Source: sun-sentinel.com, “Boca Raton man admits to receiving kickbacks in Medicare fraud scheme“, Tonya Alanez, Nov. 21, 2017

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