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<title>Cecilia M. Altonaga - Whistleblower Law Blog</title>
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<copyright>Copyright 2008</copyright>
<lastBuildDate>Thu, 04 Oct 2007 12:01:12 -0500</lastBuildDate>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Aug 2008 09:01:18 -0500</pubDate>
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<title>Medicare Fraud lands Florida Pharmacy Owner 12 years in Prison and $3.5 Million in Fines</title>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Nelson Valdes,&nbsp;Pharmacy Owner and Durable Medical&nbsp;Equipment owner,&nbsp;was ordered by&nbsp; U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga to pay approximately $3.5 million&nbsp;in connection to Medicare false claims.&nbsp;In <a href="http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/pr/press_releases/2007/07/07-18-07nvaldes-convict.pdf">July of this year</a>,&nbsp;a federal jury in Miami convicted Mr. Valdes of conspiring to defraud Medicare, taking kickbacks and other related charges. This was the third time,&nbsp;Mr. Valdes has been convicted of Medicare fraud. Hopefully he will learn from his mistakes this time around.</p>
<p>According to the <a href="http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2007/September/07_crm_773.html">Department of Justice</a>, Mr. Valdes conspired with&nbsp;Med-Pro Billing and Unimed Pharmacy to refer paid patients in exchange for half of what Medicare paid for &ldquo;compounded&rdquo; aerosols. Compounding is the&nbsp;the process of a pharmacist making medication as opposed to a pharmaceutical manufacturer. </p>
<p>Mr. Valdes will receive&nbsp;12 years&nbsp;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.</p>
<p>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.&nbsp; The Medicare fraud strike team deserves a big round of applause.&nbsp; Their hard work helps the&nbsp;government&nbsp;recoup&nbsp;millions of dollars for qui tam or false claims involving medicare fraud.<br />
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<p>Click Here to read more on this case from the <a href="http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2007/September/07_crm_773.html">Department of Justice</a>.<br />
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<category>Alexander Acosta</category><category>Alice S. Fisher</category><category>Cecilia M. Altonaga</category><category>Medicare Fraud</category><category>Nelson Valdes</category><category>department of justice</category>
<pubDate>Thu, 04 Oct 2007 12:01:12 -0500</pubDate>
<author>Juliet@LaBovick.com (LaBovick Law)</author>

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