In a sweeping nationwide healthcare fraud scheme, ten individuals have been charged with criminal offenses, including nine from Florida, according to the Department of Justice. The two-week law enforcement action targeted 193 defendants who are accused of participating in healthcare fraud and opioid abuse schemes totaling over $2.75 billion in alleged false billings.
The suspects, who include Ma Gracia Cadet, Eva LeBeau, Lori Lebrecht, Robert Desselle, Marques Elijah Green, Lisa Williams, Lawrence Waldman, Erin Kim, Eric Brewer, and Waymon Wallace from Florida alone, are accused of defrauding programs meant to care for the elderly and disabled through various healthcare schemes. As a result of these efforts, more than $231 million in cash was seized as well as luxury vehicles and gold.
Among those arrested were Eric Brewer who allegedly stole fentanyl intended for patient use in Tampa hospitals and injected himself with the illegal substance. Lisa Williams is accused of tampering with fentanyl infusion bags at a hospital. Others such as Cadet, LaBeau, Desselle and Green are accused of fraudulently obtaining millions in Medicare funds through fraudulent insurance claims.
Lawrence Waldman is also charged with making false claims to Medicare and receiving nearly $380 thousand in illegal kickbacks and bribes while Erin Kim is accused of prescribing over 1.5 million pills of Adderall and other stimulants resulting in over $800 thousand dollars in return.
These arrests represent part of a broader crackdown on healthcare fraud across the country that has seen ten individuals being brought to justice for their involvement in this multi-billion dollar scheme that defrauded vulnerable populations through various means.