Fort Lauderdale, FL – In a brazen scheme that spanned six years, a telemedicine company owner has pleaded guilty to orchestrating a massive Medicare fraud conspiracy that netted him a staggering $46.2 million.
Christopher Harwood, 43, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, admitted to owning and operating TelevisitMD, a telemedicine company that targeted Medicare patients through aggressive telemarketing campaigns. Harwood and his co-conspirators induced patients to accept unnecessary orthotic braces and genetic tests, which were then approved by doctors who didn’t follow Medicare’s rules for telemedicine visits.
Harwood paid these doctors to sign orders for the unnecessary medical equipment, which he then sold to durable medical equipment supply companies, laboratories, and marketers. He also owned multiple DME supply companies in Florida that he used to bill Medicare millions of dollars for orthotic braces that patients didn’t want or need.
The scheme, which lasted from 2019 to 2025, resulted in at least $46.2 million in false and fraudulent claims being submitted to Medicare. Harwood’s guilty plea is a significant blow to the Medicare fraud ring, which had been operating undetected for years.
The case highlights the growing problem of Medicare fraud, which costs taxpayers billions of dollars each year. Law enforcement officials are working tirelessly to bring perpetrators like Harwood to justice and protect vulnerable Medicare patients from exploitation.
Harwood’s sentencing date has not been announced, but he faces significant prison time and fines for his role in the massive Medicare fraud scheme.
Source: Department of Justice
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