Three Miami-Area Medical Professionals Each Sentenced to Prison for Roles in $23 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme
WASHINGTON – Two Miami-area medical assistants and a physician assistant were sentenced to prison today for their roles in a $23 million Medicare fraud scheme involving HIV infusion therapy, announced the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services. Jose Diaz, a 62-year old physician assistant, Lisandra Aguilera, a 40-year old medical assistant, and Estrella Rodriguez, a 43-year old medical assistant, were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Joan A. Lenard to 54 months, 70 months and 57 months in prison, respectively. The defendants each previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud for their roles in an HIV infusion fraud scheme. According to court documents, Diaz, Aguilera and Rodriguez each worked at Metro Med of Hialeah Corp. (Metro Med). In 2003, Metro Med began operating as an HIV infusion clinic that purportedly provided injection and infusion therapies to HIV positive Medicare beneficiaries. In fact, the injection and infusion t...