After over ten years of investigating and searching, the United States Department of Health and Human Services has recaptured and charged a man with healthcare fraud. In response to the initial charges made ten years ago, the accused fled. He left the country and, until recently, was in Haiti.
A recent report by the New York Post states the man was “expelled” from Haiti. The United States government promptly arrested the man upon his return to the United States.
Another layer: Wife left behind, arrested ten years ago. In another interesting twist, this case involved charges to both a husband and wife. The husband fled, but left his wife behind. The government convicted the wife in 2013 for these crimes. The sentence included 12 years of imprisonment along with a restitution payment of $4.4 million and released in 2017.
Attempt at freedom: Accused maintains his innocence. The government has claimed the couple used their medical-equipment company to submit false claims to Medicare and Medicaid totaling over $10 million. The agency stated the couple filed claims for payment of equipment never provided to patients at nursing homes.
Whether or not the accused’s innocence plea will prove successful is yet to be known. But one lesson clear for anyone facing charges of healthcare fraud: the charges will not go away. A United States Attorney working this case stated that even though the accused was a fugitive for over a decade, criminals who break the law will be held accountable.
The investigation and capture of this individual shows the government’s commitment to prosecution of these crimes. As such, anyone facing similar charges is wise to take the charges seriously and promptly begin building a legal defense to the allegations.