Two men from Miami have pleaded guilty to laundering millions of dollars obtained through a $10.5 million Medicare fraud scheme using shell companies they controlled.
According to documents filed in the case, Roche, Remy and others conspired to engage in financial and monetary transactions of health care fraud proceeds from Renew Therapy Center of Port St. Lucie LLC (Renew Therapy), a comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation facility. From November 2007 through August 2009, Renew Therapy submitted approximately $10,549,361 in fraudulent claims for reimbursement to Medicare for therapy services that were not legitimately prescribed and not legitimately provided to Medicare beneficiaries. As a result of those fraudulent claims, Medicare deposited approximately $6,248,056 into a Renew Therapy bank account. The fraud proceeds in that account were subsequently disbursed to various entities, including a combined total of $1,847,222 to Ariguanabo Investment Group Inc. and IRE Diagnostic Center Inc., shell companies that Roche and Remy controlled.
Court records indicate that more than $1.2 million was laundered through Ariguanabo Investment Group between Feb. 5, 2009, and Sep. 22, 2009. The money was subsequently removed from the Ariguanabo Investment Group bank account to various individuals and entities, including to Ibiza Future Planning Inc., a shell company that Remy established and controlled.
More than $600,000 was laundered through IRE Diagnostic Center from Aug. 7, 2008, and Jan. 29, 2009. The money was subsequently removed from the IRE Diagnostic Center bank account to various individuals and entities, including to A&R Medical Services of South Florida Inc., another shell company that Roche and Remy established and controlled.
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