McALLEN, Texas – Ramon De La Garza, a 52-year-old man from Mission, was sentenced to 11 years and 3 months in federal prison for his role in a conspiracy and scheme to defraud Medicare and Medicaid through fraudulent billings.
De La Garza was one of the billers for RGV DME, a durable medical equipment business that was located in the McAllen area. The scheme involved approximately $11.1 million in false claims to Medicare and Medicaid.
De La Garza was handed a sentence of 110 months for conspiracy to defraud Medicare and Medicaid and an additional mandatory 24-month-term for aggravated identity theft. The sentences will be served consecutively, resulting in a total sentence of 134 months in federal prison.
He will also serve three years of supervision following his release. In addition to the prison sentence, De La Garza was ordered to pay restitution to Medicare and Medicaid in the amount of $5,059,198.96, and a money judgment will be entered against him for that amount.
De La Garza and Marcello Herrera, the former owner of RGV DME, pleaded guilty on February 21, 2013, to conspiring to defraud Medicare and Texas Medicaid. Herrera’s wife, Carla Cantu Herrera, also pleaded guilty to the conspiracy.
Marcelo Herrera was sentenced earlier this month to 12 years in federal prison for the conspiracy and aggravated identity theft. He was ordered to pay restitution to Medicare and Medicaid in the amount of $6,103,953.74 and to forfeit wheelchairs, scooters, and other DME items discovered in his leased storage facility in Alamo.
The scheme involved submitting fraudulent claims to Medicare and Texas Medicaid for power wheelchairs, scooters, incontinent supplies, hospital beds, and mattresses as well as other DME supplies. De La Garza and other conspirators used marketers to obtain Medicare and Medicaid identification numbers and other information from beneficiaries, which they used to fraudulently bill Medicare and Medicaid for DME that was either never prescribed or prescribed but never delivered.
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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