Ariel Madero Paez, the owner of Always Medical Supply, a durable medical equipment company based in Stuart, Florida, has been sentenced to 55 months in prison for orchestrating a massive Medicare fraud scheme.
According to a federal investigation, Madero Paez submitted over $2.2 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare between November 2021 and May 2022. The scheme involved billing Medicare for durable medical equipment that was never provided to eligible beneficiaries.
The investigation revealed that Always Medical Supply submitted approximately $2.2 million in false claims to Medicare, resulting in the agency paying out over $1.4 million. Following Madero Paez’s arrest at Miami International Airport on May 6, 2022, authorities discovered bank accounts linked to the company and the defendant with over $500,000 in funds derived from or traceable to the health care fraud.
U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks handed down the sentence, ordering Madero Paez to pay restitution to Medicare in the amount of nearly $1.5 million. The court also entered a forfeiture money judgment in the same amount, in addition to the forfeiture of the contents of Madero Paez’s two bank accounts.
Madero Paez’s scheme has left a trail of financial devastation, with Medicare paying out millions of dollars in false claims. The case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of vigilance in preventing health care scams.
The investigation was conducted by the Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Miami Field Office, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Diana M. Acosta prosecuting the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Laserna handling asset forfeiture.
Related court documents and information are available on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 22-cr-14029-Middlebrooks.
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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