Medicare Fraud lands Florida Pharmacy Owner 12 years in Prison and $3.5 Million in Fines
Nelson Valdes, Pharmacy Owner and Durable Medical Equipment owner, was ordered by U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga to pay approximately $3.5 million in connection to Medicare false claims. In July of this year, a federal jury in Miami convicted Mr. Valdes of conspiring to defraud Medicare, taking kickbacks and other related charges. This was the third time, Mr. Valdes has been convicted of Medicare fraud. Hopefully he will learn from his mistakes this time around.
According to the Department of Justice, Mr. Valdes conspired with Med-Pro Billing and Unimed Pharmacy to refer paid patients in exchange for half of what Medicare paid for “compounded” aerosols. Compounding is the the process of a pharmacist making medication as opposed to a pharmaceutical manufacturer.
Mr. Valdes will receive 12 years in prison for Medicare fraud, according to Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney R. Alexander Acosta of the Southern District of Florida.
This verdict marks another win for our diligent medicare fraud strike force. Since March 2007, the strike force team has indicted approximately 80 cases and 120 defendants in Miami-Dade County alone. The Medicare fraud strike team deserves a big round of applause. Their hard work helps the government recoup millions of dollars for qui tam or false claims involving medicare fraud.
Click Here to read more on this case from the Department of Justice.
