Miami Health Agency Boss Jailed for $2.5M Medicare Fraud

MIAMI — Raciel Leon, the 42-year-old administrator of Miami-area home health agency Mercy Home Care Inc., was today sentenced to a staggering 126-month prison term for his pivotal role in a $2.5 million Medicare fraud scheme.

Raciel Leon, who also worked as a billing employee for D&D&D Home Health Care Inc., was convicted in December 2016 following a two-week jury trial. He faced charges of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, as well as conspiracy to defraud the United States and pay/receive health care bribes and kickbacks.

According to evidence presented at trial, Leon, along with his co-conspirators, submitted false claims to Medicare through Mercy and DDD. These claims were based on non-medically necessary services that were not actually provided, all made possible by illegal kickbacks paid to doctors and patient recruiters. The scheme included forged prescriptions, falsified medical documentation, and beneficiaries who were coached to falsely claim they needed home health care.

Between October 2014 and June 2015, Medicare paid out approximately $2.5 million for these fraudulent claims. Ten of Leon’s co-conspirators have already pleaded guilty or been convicted in related cases.

The investigation into this scheme was a joint effort by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) under the Medicare Fraud Strike Force. The case is one of many brought under the supervision of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.

For further information on this case, visit the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

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