Gladys Fuertes, 40, and her husband Mario Fuertes, 38, have been convicted of operating a clinic to defraud Medicare in a scheme that netted them over $900,000.
A federal jury found the Miami couple guilty of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, healthcare fraud, and obstructing a healthcare investigation.
The Fuerteses were accused of establishing and operating a sham clinic, Gables Medical and Therapy Center, where they employed unlicensed medical professionals and misused the Medicare billing numbers of other medical professionals.
They paid patients to recruit Medicare beneficiaries and drive them to the clinic for basic and sham medical services, which included expensive HIV-related treatments that patients never actually received.
The Fuerteses also billed Universal’s Medicare Part C plan for services that required a physician’s presence, but no licensed physician was present or rendered the service.
Gladys Fuertes was also convicted of four counts of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory sentence of two years in prison.
The sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 23, 2015.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mandy Riedel and Kelley Howard-Allen.
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
ðŸâ€â€™ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
