The federal government takes various types of financial crime very seriously, and Michigan defendants convicted of this type of offense could face years in prison. Fraud, specifically health care fraud, is a financial crime that involves theft or deceit for the intent of financial gain. One man was recently sentenced to 15 years in a federal facility for his role in health care fraud conspiracies, including making false statements in a health care benefit program.
Details of health care conspiracies
The defendant was accused of working with others to commit a health care conspiracy that involved generating unnecessary physician’s orders for orthotic devices. They did this through their own telemarketing company, submitting the false orders as claims to Medicare. The prosecution asserted that the conspirators took steps to reduce Medicare scrutiny by spreading out the orders between five different storefronts.
The scheme resulted in approximately $25 million in false Medicare claims. They received around $12 million over the course of the operation. As part of his sentence, the judge ordered the defendant to pay over $18 million to the affected agencies.
An ideal defense strategy
Every case is different, which is why a defendant facing health care charges will benefit from developing a defense strategy uniquely suited to his or her needs and objectives. Because of serious nature of fraud cases and the severe penalties these charges can bring, it is prudent to work with a Michigan attorney with extensive experience in federal criminal defense. An assessment of the individual case will reveal what legal options are available.
