Miami Recruiters Jailed for $20M Fraud Scam

Miami, FL – Three patient recruiters have been handed down stiff prison sentences for their roles in a massive $20 million health care fraud scheme involving the now-defunct Trust Care Health Services Inc.

Estrella Perez, 57, Solchys Perez, 34, and Abigail Aguila, 40, all of Miami, were sentenced to serve time ranging from 30 months to 37 months in federal prison, followed by supervised release. They were also ordered to pay significant restitution amounts – Estrella Perez $1,172,162, Solchys Perez $746,600, and Aguila $491,438.

The trio were convicted of recruiting patients for Trust Care, which falsely billed Medicare for home health care and therapy services that were not needed or provided. They also paid kickbacks to co-conspirators in doctors’ offices and clinics for prescriptions and medical certifications. These documents were then used to fraudulently bill Medicare.

Trust Care, from March 2007 through January 2010, submitted approximately $20 million in false claims, with Medicare paying out around $15 million. Another recruiter, Monica Macias, was previously sentenced to 24 months for her part in the scheme.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI and HHS-OIG as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force. Since its inception, this force has charged nearly 2,000 defendants, totaling over $6 billion in billed claims.

For more information on health care fraud prevention and enforcement, visit www.stopmedicarefraud.gov.