Federal watchdogs have tied a bow on a key part of one of the largest Medicare fraud schemes in history.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida announced Friday that Rodolfo Pichardo and Marta Pichardo — husband and wife — were each sentenced to several years in prison for their roles building “a vast empire of fraud” from May 2010 through September 2016. The couple’s empire included at least six fraudulent home health agencies, three fraudulent therapy staffing companies and two fraudulent pharmacies.
Over the years, the Pichardos and their co-conspirators used their phony network — located throughout Florida’s Miami-Dade County — to submit more than $38 million in false and fraudulent claims, according to Department of Justice officials. Medicare ultimately paid out more than $33 million of that.
Source: Home Health Owners Pay Price for $38 Million ‘Empire of Fraud’ / Home Health Care News