⏱ 2 min read
A ruthless Medicare scam that bilked the system for $11.4 million has landed a Florida nursing assistant a 9-year prison sentence. Christian ‘Chris’ Cruz, 45, of Pompano Beach, operated a durable medical equipment supplier in Florida that submitted false claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary orthotic braces.
Cruz paid kickbacks and bribes to doctors to get signed orders for the braces, which he then shipped to Medicare beneficiaries nationwide who didn’t need them. He lied to Medicare about being the sole owner of the company, when in fact he shared ownership with a convicted felon who remains at large.
Cruz raked in hundreds of thousands of dollars from the scam, which he withdrew in cash from South Florida bank branches. He often split withdrawals into amounts just under the $10,000 reporting threshold.
Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald vowed to hold medical professionals accountable for betraying the public’s trust. ‘This was a deliberate health care fraud scheme built on lies, bribes, and abuse of the Medicare system,’ he said.
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📋 Key Facts
- Crime: White Collar Crime
- Defendant: Medicare Scam
- Location: US
- Source: DOJ Press Release
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