More Arrests in $200 Million Miami-Based Medicare Fraud

As many as 16 busted by federal agents in alleged scheme

Over a dozen more arrests were made Tuesday morning in South Florida in what's being called one of the country's biggest Medicare scams ever.

As many as 16 people in Miami-Dade and Broward were rounded up by federal agents Tuesday morning as authorities target Miami-based American Therapeutic, according to the Miami Herald.

The defendants, which include doctors, health care administrators and other employees of the company, are expected to be in a federal court in Miami Tuesday afternoon.

Back in October, four managers and operators of American Therapeutic were arrested and charged with running a $200 million scheme that allegedly billed Medicare for mental health treatments that patients didn't need.

Lawrence S. Duran, Marianella Valera, Judith Negron and Margarita Acevedo were all charged with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Duran and Valera, both with American Therapeutic, were also charged with 11 counts of health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States. Acevedo was also charged with conspiracy to defraud.  

American Therapeutic allegedly altered files of patients with dementia and paid owners of assisted living centers and halfway houses to force the patients to attend programs at their health centers.

Patients who realized they could cash in on the scheme did so by providing their Medicare numbers. Other patients who weren't coherent enough to demand kickbacks got nothing.

Duran and Valera are being detained in Miami and their case is expected to go to trial in August.

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