Evelyn Herrera, Health Care Kickback Scheme, Florida 2023

A Florida businesswoman has been brought to justice for her involvement in a massive health care kickback scheme, which saw her company bilk Medicare out of millions of dollars.

Evelyn Herrera, 62, of Loxahatchee, Florida, pleaded guilty on [no date given] to an information in the District of Vermont for participating in a conspiracy to pay health care kickbacks.

According to court documents, Herrera owned a durable medical equipment company called Merida Medical Supplies Inc. (Merida). After obtaining the identities of individuals residing in Vermont, across New England, and elsewhere in the United States, Herrera, using Merida, submitted fraudulent claims to Medicare for wrist, knee, and back braces that were never requested or received by patients.

In total, Merida fraudulently billed Medicare approximately $6.5 million, and Medicare paid Merida approximately $2.8 million based on those claims.

As part of the scheme, Herrera tried to hide the source of the funds generated fraudulently by Merida. For example, she transferred more than $300,000 in fraud proceeds to a cryptocurrency exchange and sent another $125,000 of illicit funds via international wire transactions for the purchase of a property in Tulum, Mexico.

After the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued a payment suspension letter to Merida for suspected fraud, Herrera withdrew large amounts of cash from a bank and transferred some of the funds to benefit herself and members of her family.

Herrera is scheduled to be sentenced on May 11, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

The case is the result of an ongoing investigation by the Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion since March 2007.

Evelyn Herrera, 62, is expected to be sentenced on May 11 for her role in the scheme, which saw her company bilk Medicare out of $2.8 million.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/health-care-executive-pleads-guilty-kickback-scheme-vermont