The proprietor of a sturdy medical tools (DME) firm in Fort Myers was sentenced to greater than seven years in jail for his position in a rip-off that bilked Medicare and Medicaid out of $1.6 million.
Earlier this 12 months, North Miami resident Daniel Pintado Cazola, 42, pleaded responsible to at least one depend of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, and mail fraud and one depend of aggravated id theft.
In accordance with the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace for the Southern District of Florida, Pintado Cazola tried to hide his position as proprietor of Myers Skilled Companies, a DME firm in Fort Myers by utilizing a “straw” proprietor on the corporate’s company information and checking account.
As a part of his responsible plea, he admitted that he, and never the straw proprietor, bought lists of Medicare sufferers after which informed a biller to submit claims to Medicare for DME tools that was not prescribed nor medically essential and wasn’t even being provided to sufferers.
From November 2021 to February 2022, Myers Skilled Companies billed greater than $2.3 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid. The corporate had been paid greater than $1.6 million earlier than he was arrested in Miami-Dade County. At the moment, he additionally was charged with resisting arrest with out violence. The cash paid was transferred from Myers to accounts held by shell firms after which withdrawn by others so it couldn’t be traced again to Pintado Cazola.
The federal government seized roughly $371,000 from Pintado Cazola final month.
In the case of DME fraud, the federal government isn’t kidding round. In current months, a number of fraudsters have been indicted or sentenced in this kind of fraud.
In July, a North Carolina physician was indicted in an $11 million scheme during which she allegedly signed fraudulent orders for medically pointless sturdy medical tools, particularly knee braces.
In Might, the house owners and operators of 4 orthotic brace suppliers in Texas and Arkansas have been convicted for his or her half in a $6.5 million kickback scheme that included federal anti-kickback regulation violations.
And in March, Zachary S. Seid, 35, of Boynton Seaside and Anthony Cracchiolo, 42 of Parkland have been arrested for allegedly paying greater than $565,000 in kickbacks to purchase faux DME prescriptions, together with prescriptions “signed” by docs who by no means truly signed or approved them and didn’t know that their names and identities have been being so used.
The Well being Regulation Workplaces of Anthony C. Vitale can offer you compliance oversight providers, assuring that what you are promoting relationships are compliant with all federal and state fraud, waste and abuse legal guidelines. We additionally symbolize healthcare professionals in state and federal court docket who’re charged with fraudulent billing, kickbacks, Medicare and Medicaid fraud and false claims, amongst others. For extra data you’ll be able to contact us at 305-358-4500 or ship us an e mail to data@vitalehealthlaw.com and let’s talk about how we would have the ability to help you.
