MIAMI, FL – Andres Alfonso, 54, is facing a hefty prison sentence after being convicted yesterday of a brazen $700,000 Medicare fraud scheme. The former owner of La Gloria Pharmacy in Miami systematically ripped off the federal healthcare program, lining his pockets with stolen funds.
The conviction followed a three-day trial where prosecutors laid out a damning case. Evidence revealed that in less than six months in 2014, Alfonso used La Gloria Pharmacy as a front to submit false billing claims to Medicare Part D. He didn’t just inflate costs; he fabricated the entire scheme, stealing the identities of both doctors and Medicare beneficiaries.
The scheme was simple in its audacity: Alfonso billed Medicare for prescription drugs he never purchased, never dispensed, and that were never received by the purported patients. Witnesses testified that they’d never even heard of La Gloria Pharmacy, let alone received any medication from it. Doctors, whose names were fraudulently used on the claims, confirmed they had no knowledge of the beneficiaries or the prescriptions submitted under their credentials.
“This wasn’t an accounting error; it was deliberate theft,” stated Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. Shimon R. Richmond, Special Agent in Charge of the HHS-OIG, echoed the sentiment, highlighting the agency’s commitment to rooting out healthcare fraud. The investigation was a joint effort, demonstrating the power of federal collaboration.
Alfonso was convicted on three counts of health care fraud, each carrying a maximum possible sentence of ten years in prison – meaning he could face up to 30 years behind bars. United States District Judge James I. Cohn will deliver the sentence on January 27, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda Perwin and James V. Hayes are prosecuting the case, working in coordination with the Fraud Section of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and the Medicare Strike Force.
Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and provide updates as they become available. Court documents can be found at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov. This case serves as a stark reminder that those who exploit the Medicare system will be held accountable.
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: White Collar Crime|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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