Here are some of the top stories from the past week you may have missed from NBC 6 News:
Nearly 20 Suspects Charged in Multi-Million Dollar Medicare Fraud Across 2 Miami Pharmacies
Nearly two dozen people have been charged by Florida's Office of Statewide Prosecution for their involvement in a multi-million dollar Medicare fraud scheme that took place at two Miami pharmacies over the course of several years. The scheme made use of professional beneficiaries, which are people who allow their Medicare benefits to be exploited by fraudsters in exchange for monetary compensation, the warrants said. In this case, the professional beneficiaries involved were receiving up to 30 percent of the profits from each medication that was fraudulently billed by either Santander Pharmacy or Wynwood Family Pharmacy Corporation.
She Died After Undergoing a Popular Surgery. Her Family Has a Warning for Others
Heather Meadows traveled from her home in West Virginia to South Florida to get what's known as a Brazilian butt lift or BBL, a popular plastic surgery procedure in which fat is taken from other parts of the body and transferred into the buttocks. Shortly after, she died from the procedure due to fat seeping into her bloodstream, causing her to stop breathing. NBC Investigators uncovered more than a dozen cases in which women died from similar procedures, and now, Meadow's family is warning of the dangerous risk behind these popular surgeries.
University of Miami Professor Facing Federal Money Laundering Charges Appears in Court
Local
A University of Miami professor of international studies who's facing federal money laundering charges appeared in a South Florida courtroom Thursday. Bruce Bagley, 73, faces conspiracy to commit money laundering and two money laundering charges following his arrest Monday. Bagley didn't speak with reporters following the Thursday morning hearing, but his attorney, Daniel Forman, said he'll continue to fight the charges. "The allegations are serious and they're also surprising and shocking to most of us that know Dr. Bagley," Forman said. "He's had a long and distinguished career as a University of Miami professor and before that at Johns Hopkins University, considered one of the world's experts in his particular area of expertise. So this has come as a great surprise to everyone."
Bunny Left During Hurricane Dorian Reunited With Owner in South Florida
It was a reunion Kimora Williams never thought would happen – after she was separated from her beloved rabbit Bouncer during Hurricane Dorian in her native Bahamas. “I thought somebody took you,” Williams says to Bouncer as she is reunited with her Sunday. “I thought you died.” Bouncer somehow escaped from the person Williams left her with, but was found and reunited with Williams in Little Havana, where shes is staying with relatives. “To see her now just gives me a little more hope,” said Williams. “I’m so happy to see her. This is my first pet.”
Fabletics Draws Criticism Over Troubled History
The popular activewear company Fabletics was marketed as high quality but low cost activewear for busy women chasing both fitness and kids. Actress Kate Hudson and her massive social media following helped catapult the company after it launched, but complaints against the membership-based brand and its parent company soon followed. Hundreds of customers complained online they were sucked in by discounted prices then stuck with unwanted subscriptions. Joanna Read, the owner of a dance studio, told NBC 6 she was furious when she was charged $350 to her credit card without her knowledge and then unable to use the credit to make any purchases. "I mean, I was mad," she said.
