Four Florida men have been sentenced for their roles in a $54.3 million healthcare fraud scheme involving kickbacks, bribes, and medically unnecessary prescriptions billed to Medicare.
The sentences, handed down by U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan, range from probation to more than three years in federal prison.
Sentences and Restitutions
- Luis Lacerda, 37, of West Palm Beach: Sentenced to three years and five months in federal prison. Ordered to forfeit $15.6 million and pay $54.3 million in restitution.
- Omar Solari, 36, of Fort Lauderdale: Sentenced to two years and six months in federal prison. Ordered to forfeit $6.3 million and pay $36.2 million in restitution.
- Michael Murphy, 38, of Fort Lauderdale: Sentenced to 15 months in federal prison. Ordered to forfeit $3.6 million and pay $8.4 million in restitution.
- Joelson Viveros, 45, of Boca Raton: Sentenced to five years of probation. Ordered to forfeit $894,116 and pay $3 million in restitution.
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Between 2018 and 2021, the defendants and their co-conspirators operated pharmacies that billed Medicare for prescriptions that were medically unnecessary, including topical creams that beneficiaries neither wanted nor needed.
The operation involved kickbacks and bribes to telemarketing and telemedicine companies to facilitate the fraud.
Telemarketing Kickbacks: The defendants paid telemarketing companies to recruit Medicare beneficiaries, convincing them to accept prescriptions. These companies developed leads for the fraud scheme
Telemedicine Bribes: Physicians employed by telemedicine companies were paid to approve prescriptions without establishing legitimate doctor-patient relationships. In many cases, prescriptions were signed after brief phone conversations or without any patient contact.
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Recycled Prescriptions: The co-conspirators submitted claims to Medicare for these unnecessary prescriptions, often using multiple pharmacies they controlled in a practice known as “recycling.”
Medicare Part D reimbursed the defendants’ pharmacies more than $54.3 million during the conspiracy.
The scheme was uncovered through a joint investigation by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
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