Vladimir Prado Sr. Healthcare Fraud, Miami FL, 2018

MIAMI, FL – Vladimir Prado Sr., 52, of Miami, Florida, is headed to federal prison for nearly a decade after being sentenced to 97 months for his central role in a brazen $10 million healthcare fraud scheme. The scheme involved a defunct home health clinic and two sham physical rehabilitation clinics operating in the Miami area. Prado’s sentencing, handed down by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola, sends a clear message: ripping off the healthcare system won’t pay.

Federal investigators revealed Prado wasn’t working alone. The operation involved a coordinated effort to submit false claims to both Blue Cross Blue Shield and Medicare. Prado admitted to owning a Miami medical clinic that raked in approximately $2.6 million after submitting roughly $5 million in bogus claims to Blue Cross Blue Shield. Simultaneously, he was a co-owner of a separate Miami rehabilitation clinic that fraudulently billed Blue Cross Blue Shield $2.6 million, pocketing $1.4 million in illicit payments.

But Prado’s greed didn’t stop there. He also funneled funds into a fraudulent home health agency, extending the scheme’s reach to Medicare. From December 2012 through April 2014, Prado and his co-conspirators flooded the Medicare system with approximately $2.2 million in false claims, falsely representing the medical necessity of home healthcare benefits. Medicare, in turn, paid out around $3.9 million to the agency’s corporate accounts. Prado pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud in both an October 2017 superseding indictment and a November 2017 indictment.

The investigation, a joint effort by the FBI’s Miami Field Office, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Miami Regional Office, and the U.S. Secret Service’s (USSS) Miami Field Office, exposed a sophisticated network of deceit. Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Benjamin G. Greenberg of the Southern District of Florida, and Special Agent in Charge Brian Swain of the USSS all lauded the collaborative effort that brought Prado to justice.

Judge Scola didn’t just hand down a lengthy prison sentence. Prado is also on the hook for $4,001,499 in restitution, to be paid jointly and severally with his accomplices. The case highlights the ongoing work of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, a nationwide initiative dedicated to combating healthcare fraud and protecting taxpayer dollars. Since its launch in 2007, the Strike Force has charged over 3,500 individuals responsible for over $12.5 billion in fraudulent Medicare claims.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Clark and Trial Attorney Adam G. Yoffie are leading the prosecution. The relentless pursuit of these fraudsters underscores the commitment of federal law enforcement to dismantle these schemes and hold those responsible accountable. Prado’s sentence serves as a stark warning to anyone contemplating similar acts of healthcare fraud: the risks far outweigh the rewards.

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