Miami Doc Facing Charges in $20M Pain Pill & Fraud Scandal

MIAMI – Dr. Roberto A. Fernandez, 51, a Miami-based physician licensed in Puerto Rico, faces a 16-count indictment for his alleged role in a $20 million healthcare fraud scheme and illegal distribution of controlled substances.

Fernandez, who operated Florida-based Latin Foundation for Health Inc., is accused of referring Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries to pharmacies and home health agencies for kickbacks, submitting false claims for non-existent services, and dispensing oxycodone and other controlled substances without medical necessity.

According to the indictment, Fernandez and his co-conspirators caused at least $4.4 million in Medicare payments based on fraudulent claims. The scheme is alleged to have bilked Medicare’s Part D program out of approximately $20 million through prescriptions listed under Fernandez’s name.

The charges against Fernandez include conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and pay kickbacks, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and actual distribution of controlled substances. He was arrested on March 22, 2017, and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrea M. Simonton.

Acting U.S. Attorney Benjamin G. Greenberg and other federal officials made the announcement, noting that the investigation was part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which has charged nearly 3,000 defendants for over $11 billion in fraudulent billing since its inception in 2007.

Fernandez is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.

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