Billy Denica, Healthcare Fraud, Florida 2012

MIAMI AREA ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY OWNER PLEADS GUILTY TO HEALTHCARE FRAUD

Billy Denica, 50, the owner of Robyll Care Assisted Living Facility in Miami, Florida, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, announced the FBI and HHS.

According to court documents, Denica agreed to send Medicare beneficiaries who resided at Robyll to American Therapeutic Corporation (ATC) for mental health treatment in exchange for illegal health care kickbacks. Denica admitted that she knew ATC fraudulently billed Medicare for the treatment that her referrals purportedly received at ATC.

Denica’s participation in the fraud resulted in more than $1.1 million in fraudulent billing to the Medicare program. At sentencing, scheduled for June 11, 2012, Denica faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

ATC, its management company Medlink Professional Management Group Inc., a related company called American Sleep Institute (ASI), and various owners, managers, doctors, therapists, patient brokers and marketers of ATC and Medlink and ASI, were charged with various health care fraud, kickback, money laundering and other offenses in two indictments unsealed on Feb. 15, 2011.

The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Steven Kim and Jennifer L. Saulino of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. The case was investigated by the FBI and HHS-OIG and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, supervised by the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.

Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force operations in nine locations have charged more than 1,190 defendants that collectively have billed the Medicare program for more than $3.6 billion.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/miami-area-assisted-living-facility-owner-pleads-guilty-fraud-and-kickback-scheme