A federal jury convicted a nursing assistant for his role in an $11.4 million health care fraud and wire fraud conspiracy where hundreds of Medicare recipients were sent medical equipment they did not need, the DOJ said.
According to court documents, Christian "Chris" Cruz, 45, of Pompano Beach, Florida, owned and operated a durable medical equipment supplier, for which he submitted millions of dollars in false claims to Medicare. Cruz and his co-conspirator paid illegal kickbacks and bribes to get signed doctors' orders.
The DOJ said Cruz used the orders to ship orthotic braces to Medicare beneficiaries nationwide and then claimed payment from Medicare. Cruz also lied to Medicare, stating he was the sole owner of the company when in reality he shared ownership with his co-conspirator, a convicted felon. Medicare would not have allowed the company to enroll if it had known that the co-owner was a felon.
Cruz received several hundred thousand dollars into his personal account from the scheme. He would withdraw money from several bank branches in the Fort Lauderdale area.
The DOJ said Cruz was convicted on one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, four counts of health care fraud, one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to make false statements relating to health care matters, and three counts of structuring. Cruz faces a maximum sentence of 125 years in prison.
His co-conspirator has been charged but remains at large.
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