Press Release
MEDICAL EQUIPMENT COMPANY OWNER CONVICTED IN MEDICARE FRAUD SCHEME
November 6, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Jonathan I. Solomon, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Miami Field Office, announced today's conviction of defendant Remberto Sarmiento for his role in a health care fraud scheme involving two Miami based durable medical equipment companies, APR Medical Equipment, Inc. and Super Medical Supply, Inc. The defendant was found guilty on twenty counts of health care fraud set forth in two criminal indictments.
The evidence at trial established that Sarmiento purchased the two medical companies, maintained corresponding corporate bank accounts, signed checks drawn on those bank accounts, and then distributed fraud proceeds using a shell construction company that he encouraged a straw owner to open on his behalf. The government also proved at trial that Sarmiento committed the fraud by submitting false claims to the Medicare program using stolen patient information.
Sentencing has been scheduled for January 6, 2009 before U.S. District Court Judge Ursula Ungaro. The defendant faces a maximum of 10 years' imprisonment on each count of conviction.
The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney William J. Parente Jr. and Assistant United States Attorney Ben Curtis.
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 http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
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