LAWFUEL – The Legal Newswire – R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Melody Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, United States Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta Regional Office, announced the filing of criminal charges against defendant Reinel Pulido in connection with a scheme to defraud Medicare of more than $15 million. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
On November 20, 2007, a Miami federal grand jury returned a six count Indictment against Reinel Pulido, charging him with health care fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1347. More specifically, the Indictment charges Pulido with owning and operating Soroa Medical Services inc.(“Soroa”), a Miami infusion clinic, and executing a scheme to submit millions dollars in fraudulent medicare claims from February 2005 through November 2007. The Indictment alleges that the defendant submitted approximately $15,687,537 in false claims on behalf of Soroa, for infusions that had not been ordered by a physician and were not delivered to a Medicare patient. As a result of the submission of fraudulent claims, Medicare paid Soroa approximately $1,565,410.
This is the first Indictment resulting from the now-permanent Medicare Strike Force of the United States Attorneys Office in the Southern District of Florida. The Strike Force is staffed by four experienced white-collar prosecutors dedicated to combat Medicare fraud.
Mr. Acosta commended the investigative efforts of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta Regional Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Daniel.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls
