Miami Grifter Gets Probation for Perjury

⏱ 3 min read

Michael Luehrsen, 41, of Miami walked out of federal court in Buffalo yesterday with a sweetheart deal: three years probation. But that’s just the latest twist for a guy already facing serious fraud charges. Luehrsen wasn’t just accused of ripping off the healthcare system, he then doubled down by lying about it under oath in February 2022. U.S. District Judge Lawrence Vilardo also tacked on a $2 million restitution order and asset forfeiture, but insiders say it barely scratches the surface of the original alleged scam.

The perjury revolved around Luehrsen’s carefully constructed alibi. He claimed he was on the West Coast – in California and Boston – on key dates in July 2014 when faxed prescription forms, allegedly altered at his father’s Western New York home, were being transmitted. He even claimed he had phone photos to prove he wasn’t there. The Feds smelled a rat.

FBI agents, led by Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera, didn’t waste time. They dug into Luehrsen’s cell phone records and found those photos he bragged about? They didn’t show sun and palm trees. They pinpointed him squarely in Buffalo on July 11, 2014. That crucial evidence demolished his story, proving he was present when the fraudulent forms allegedly went out. It was a pivotal moment in the original, largely sealed fraud case.

While details of the initial healthcare fraud remain under wraps, the brazen act of lying to a federal court sealed Luehrsen’s fate. Three years probation and $2 million in penalties feel light considering the suspected scale of the scheme, but it’s where things stand now. The investigation is closed, and Luehrsen will be paying the price – a price many will consider far too low.