Milena Gonzalez, Medicare Fraud, Florida 2019
A Miami woman has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for her role in a $750,000 health care fraud scheme involving six Miami-area home health agencies. Milena Gonzalez, 54, of Miami, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez on January 15, 2019.
Gonzalez was charged along with Nelson Anzardo Calzadilla, 55, of Miami, in an indictment returned on June 15, 2018. Nelson Anzardo Calzadilla pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud and is scheduled for sentencing in February 2019.
As part of her guilty plea, Gonzalez admitted that from approximately November 2010 through approximately September 2015, she accepted kickbacks in return for the referral of Medicare beneficiaries, many of whom did not need or qualify for home health services, to serve as patients of the six agencies. Gonzalez further admitted that in addition to receiving kickbacks, she paid kickbacks to the owners and operators of a medical clinic called City Rehab Corp., in return for prescriptions for home health services for her recruited Medicare beneficiaries.
The defendant admitted that, as a result of false and fraudulent claims submitted as part of this conspiracy, Medicare made payments of at least approximately $750,000.
Gonzalez was ordered to pay $478,560.54 in restitution and to forfeit $346,595.00. She pleaded guilty on October 24, 2018 to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay and receive health care kickbacks.
The FBI and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General investigated the case, which was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force under the supervision of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.
The Criminal Division’s Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force. Since its inception in 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which maintains 14 strike forces operating in 23 districts, has charged nearly 4,000 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $14 billion.
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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