Two South Florida men were sentenced to several years in prison for their involvement in a $34.8 million health care fraud conspiracy, authorities said.
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According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Kenneth Charles Kessler III, a Miami man, and Michael Andrew Gomez, a Miramar man, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
Authorities said the scheme involved billing Medicare for thousands of orthotic braces that were sent to Medicare beneficiaries who didn’t need them/
Court documents revealed that Kessler and Gomez owned and operated seven durable medical equipment supply companies that were based in Florida, and through those companies, they submitted millions of dollars in false claims to Medicare for those braces.
During the scheme, the duo was also paid illegal kickbacks and bribes to get fraudulent signed doctor’s orders.
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They would then use those orders to ship the braces to several Medicare beneficiaries across the U.S.
Authorities said Kessler profited more than $1.4 million, while Gomez profited more than $2.3 million.
After pleading guilty in May, Kessler was sentenced to 33 months in prison, and Gomez was given 24 months in prison.
“These fraudsters billed Medicare $34.8 million for braces that patients didn’t need and didn’t request — and now they’re paying the price,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “They paid kickbacks for fake doctors’ orders, shuffled billing among several companies to dodge payment suspensions, and pocketed millions that belonged to American taxpayers. Their prison sentences make clear: if you steal from Medicare, you will be caught, you will be prosecuted, and you will be held accountable.”
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