The Department of Justice has announced that ten individuals, nine of whom are from Florida, are facing criminal charges for their alleged involvement in a nationwide healthcare fraud scheme. The charges were filed in the Middle District of Florida as part of a two-week nationwide law enforcement action that targeted 193 defendants for their alleged participation in healthcare fraud and opioid abuse schemes, resulting in over $2.75 billion in alleged false billings.
The suspects are accused of defrauding programs designed to care for the elderly and disabled by profiting from various healthcare schemes. As a result, law enforcement officials seized over $231 million in cash, luxury vehicles, gold, and other assets. Among those arrested and charged in Florida are Ma Gracia Cadet, Eva LeBeau, Lori Lebrecht, Robert Desselle, Marques Elijah Green, Lisa Williams, Lawrence Waldman, Erin Kim, Eric Brewer, and Waymon Wallace.
Eric Brewer is accused of stealing fentanyl meant for patients in Tampa hospitals and injecting himself with the illegal substance in hospital bathrooms. He was caught when his colleagues noticed his impaired behavior during a shift and found his used bloody paper towel and needle in a bathroom. Lisa Williams is also accused of tampering with fentanyl infusion bags in a hospital setting. Cadet, LeBeau, Desselle, and Green are accused of fraudulently obtaining millions in Medicare funds through false insurance claims. Waldman made fraudulent claims to Medicare and received nearly $380,000 in illegal kickbacks and bribes.
Erin Kim is accused of prescribing over 1.5 million pills of Adderall and other stimulants, for which she received over $800,000 in payment. The alleged fraud and abuse schemes highlight the seriousness of healthcare fraud and the efforts of law enforcement agencies to combat such criminal activities.