20 indicted in $5 million Medicare and car-insurance fraud scams

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Thu, Jan. 29, 2004

20 indicted in $5 million Medicare and car-insurance fraud scams
BY LARRY LEBOWITZ
[e-mail]

Federal agents on Thursday arrested eight Miami-Dade residents accused of spearheading a two-tiered fraud of both the public Medicare system as well as private automobile insurers to the tune of $5 million.

The alleged ringleader, Heldy Artiles, and her husband, Orlando, were picked up around 6 a.m. today by FBI agents and health-care fraud investigators.

The Artiles and their relatives owned or controlled three Little Havana businesses at the center of the alleged schemes: Miami Health Medical Center, Exclusive Medical Supply and Ideal Pharmacy. (snip)

Some patients were lured to the clinics by employees promising to solve their immigration issues if they would submit to an examination by physician assistant. One woman who was told that her citizenship paperwork would be processed was given a prescription for the anti-depressant Paxil.
(snip/...)

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/breaking_news/7826811.htm