Two Miami-Dade Schools bus drivers have been arrested and accused of helping a medical clinic bilk the school district out of nearly $1 million, authorities said Thursday.
Cynthia Dasilva, 58, and 40-year-old Maria Elena Mendez, allegedly helped recruit patients for Yasiel Reyes Gonzalez, who owned Opera Health Clinic and Leon Global Center.
Reyes Gonzalez claimed to treat more than 100 school employees, but would often pay patients to visit despite never having an injury, Miami-Dade Schools police said.
Then Reyes Gonzalez would bill schools insurance for the false claims and treatments that never happened. DaSilva and Mendez would receive as much as $400 for each patient they referred, police said.
"The greatest insult to students, teachers and taxpayers is individuals who prey on our employees and siphon funds away from our school district," Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho said in a statement. "That is why we conducted the investigation that resulted in these arrests."
Additional arrests are expected in the fraud case, authorities said.
DaSilva is charged with grand theft and insurance fraud. Mendez faces patient brokering charges.
