Florida nursing assistant sentenced to 9 years for $11 million scheme that sent unnecessary braces to seniors
A South Florida nursing assistant has been sentenced to nine years in prison for his role in a sweeping $11.4 million health care fraud scheme that targeted Medicare beneficiaries nationwide, federal officials announced Tuesday.
Christian "Chris" Cruz, 45, of Pompano Beach, was also ordered to serve two years of supervised release and pay $3.7 million in restitution and nearly $725,000 in forfeiture, according to the Justice Department.
Florida nursing assistant used fake claims to bill Medicare for braces
Prosecutors said Cruz owned and operated a Florida-based durable medical equipment supplier that billed Medicare for thousands of medically unnecessary orthotic braces. Many of the braces were shipped to beneficiaries who neither requested nor needed them, the DOJ said.
According to court records and trial evidence, Cruz and a co-conspirator paid illegal kickbacks and bribes to obtain signed doctors' orders, which were then used to justify the fraudulent claims. Authorities said Cruz also misled Medicare about the company's ownership, concealing the involvement of a co-conspirator who is a convicted felon and would have disqualified the business from participating in the program. That co-conspirator has been charged but remains at large.
Investigators say Cruz withdrew cash to avoid reporting requirements
Financial records showed Cruz personally profited by funneling several hundred thousand dollars into his own accounts, then withdrawing cash in amounts just under $10,000 across multiple South Florida bank branches to avoid federal reporting requirements.
"Medical professionals have a trusted role in American society, and when they betray that trust and engage in fraud, the Justice Department will hold them fully accountable," said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones said the case involved "lies, bribes, and abuse of the Medicare system," adding that the sentence sends a clear message that those who steal from federal health programs will face prison time and financial penalties.
A federal jury convicted Cruz in January after a six-day trial on multiple counts, including conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, health care fraud, and structuring financial transactions.
The case was investigated by the FBI and HHS-OIG.