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Puerto Rico Doctor Sentenced to 10 Years for Mail Fraud Scheme
Aníbal Pagan-Romero, a general practitioner with a clinic in Quebradillas, Puerto Rico, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for orchestrating a large-scale mail fraud scheme that caused over $6,000,000 in losses to the American Life Assurance Company (AFLAC).
On Monday, March 21, 2016, the Hon. Gustavo Gelpí sentenced Pagan-Romero to a term of imprisonment of 120 months and a term of supervised release of five (5) years in the criminal case for mail fraud prosecuted against Pagan-Romero in federal court.
Pagan-Romero was also ordered to pay $2,056,503.32 in restitution to AFLAC. The scheme involved Pagan-Romero fraudulently signing AFLAC accidental insurance claim forms without examining the patients.
The investigation into the scheme was undertaken by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and resulted in the arrest and prosecution of hundreds of individuals. Pagan-Romero was found guilty by a jury of his peers on all counts of an 82-count indictment charging 21 conspiracies and 61 individual counts of mail fraud.
The scheme was so large and lucrative that Pagan-Romero had to hire two employees to do data entry full time in order to generate the thousands of AFLAC claim forms submitted for reimbursement under his signature.
Pagan-Romero’s scheme involved 35 patients who were also charged alongside him. The patients pleaded guilty to the charges prior to the trial. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Dennise N. Longo and Julia Díaz-Rex.
San Juan, Puerto Rico, is a city with a history of corruption and crime. The case highlights the need for increased oversight and regulation of the medical industry to prevent such schemes from occurring in the future.
Pagan-Romero’s sentence serves as a reminder that those who engage in mail fraud and other financial crimes will be held accountable for their actions.
Key Facts
- State: Puerto Rico
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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