Tampa, FL – A South Florida man has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for his role in two consecutive conspiracies to commit health care fraud and for making a false statement in a matter involving a health care benefit program.
Patsy Truglia, 54, of Parkland, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington on [date] for his role in the health care fraud schemes. As part of his sentence, Truglia was ordered to pay $18.3 million to the affected government health programs and an insurance company.
The Court also entered a money judgment against Truglia in the amount of $10,117,738 and ordered him to forfeit numerous assets, including $9,308,235.86 seized from various financial accounts, high-end automobiles (Rolls Royce, Lamborghini, and Mercedes), jewelry, and Truglia’s lakefront home, all of which were traceable to the charged criminal conduct.
Truglia had pleaded guilty on October 5, 2021, and was subsequently sentenced to 15 years in federal prison.
According to court documents, beginning in January 2018 and continuing into April 2019, Truglia and other conspirators, including co-defendant Ruth Bianca Fernandez, generated medically unnecessary physicians’ orders via their telemarketing operation for certain orthotic devices—knee braces, back braces, wrist braces, and other braces—referred to as durable medical equipment (“DME”).
The brace orders were then forwarded to purported “telemedicine” vendors that, in exchange for a fee, paid illegal bribes to physicians to sign the orders, often without ever contacting the beneficiaries to conduct the required telehealth consultations.
Truglia and Fernandez spread the fraudulent claims across five DME storefronts operated under Truglia’s ownership and control and Fernandez’s day-to-day management. In all, through their five storefronts, Truglia, Fernandez, and other conspirators caused approximately $25 million in fraudulent DME claims to be submitted to Medicare, resulting in approximately $12 million in payments.
Truglia and his conspirators were also involved in a similar conspiracy using three new DME storefronts and different “telemedicine” vendors, causing an additional approximately $12 million in fraudulent DME claims to be submitted to Medicare, resulting in approximately $6.3 million in payments.
“Every defendant in this case shared a common trait—greed,” said IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Brian Payne. “The desire for money fueled them to commit crimes against our healthcare system and prey upon those in our society who deserve our highest respect, the elderly and military veterans. Thanks to the financial expertise and diligence of IRS-CI special agents, as well as our partner federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, Truglia will now face the consequences of his actions.
Defendant: Patsy Truglia
Criminal Charges: Health care fraud, making a false statement in a matter involving a health care benefit program
City and State: Tampa, FL
Exact Date: [date]
Sentence: 15 years in federal prison, ordered to pay $18.3 million to affected government health programs and an insurance company
Dollar Amounts: $18.3 million, $10,117,738, $9,308,235.86
Defendant’s Age: 54
Defendant’s Address: Parkland, FL
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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