The owners of telemedicine companies Advantage Choice Care and Tele Medcare were charged for allegedly masterminding a $56 million healthcare fraud scheme.
Reinaldo Wilson and his wife Jean were indicted by American federal prosecutors over the acceptance of bribes and kickbacks from medical and pharmaceutical firms which they have endorsed to physicians for purchasing orthotic braces and other supplies.
The indictment stated that the couple “used their telemedicine companies, which had locations in Bayonne, N.J., Boca Raton, Fla, and Richmond Hill, to recruit and hire healthcare providers to order the braces for Medicare beneficiaries.”
Prosecutors furthered that the orders recommended by the Wilsons were medically unnecessary and ineligible for reimbursements for Medicare beneficiaries between March 2017 and April 2019.
The husband and wife duo were additionally found to have engaged with fiscal transactions of criminally determined properties in sums exceeding $10,000.
Arrested on February 5, the couple “were each charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay and receive health care kickbacks, one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, three counts of receiving health care kickbacks, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering,” according to the Department of Justice.
The investigation was initiated through the collaborative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.
US authorities said they continuously take significant measures to reduce, if not totally eliminate, the occurrence of fraudulent providers. They also urged the public to immediately report any similar fraud schemes to the FBI which can be reached through their hotline 1-800-CALL-FBI
