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Florida Health Care Fraud Scheme Unfolds
A former supervisor at a defunct health provider has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for her central role in a $63 million health care fraud scheme that targeted Medicare and Florida Medicaid.
Wondera Eason, 51, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga in the Southern District of Florida. In addition to her prison term, Eason was sentenced to serve three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $14,985,876 in restitution.
The scheme, which operated from 2004 through 2011, saw Eason and her co-conspirators submit over $63 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid. The ‘therapy’ provided by the defunct health provider often consisted of patients watching Disney movies, playing bingo, and having barbeques.
Eason, who was employed as the director of medical records at Health Care Solutions Network Inc. (HCSN), was aware that the company paid illegal kickbacks to owners and operators of Miami-Dade County assisted living facilities in exchange for patient referral information.
The scheme was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force. Fifteen defendants have been charged and have pleaded guilty or been convicted by a jury for their roles in the HCSN health care fraud scheme.
The sentencing marks the latest development in a case that has seen several high-profile convictions. Eason’s sentencing brings the total number of defendants convicted in the scheme to 15.
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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