MIAMI, FL — Two men from Florida have been charged with allegedly running a Medicare fraud scheme worth $34.8 million, which involved unnecessary medical equipment and misleading telemarketing aimed at thousands of beneficiaries.
Federal prosecutors report that Kenneth Charles Kessler III and Michael Andrew Gomez, both aged 42, managed seven durable medical equipment (DME) companies based in Florida. These companies submitted false claims to Medicare for items like orthotic braces and glucose monitors. The duo is accused of paying illegal kickbacks to marketing firms that deceived seniors into accepting equipment they did not need, and then utilized fraudulent telemedicine providers to secure bogus doctors’ orders.
“The public fisc is not your private purse,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti, adding that the Justice Department will aggressively prosecute those defrauding taxpayer-funded health care programs.
Both individuals are facing allegations that include conspiracy to engage in health care and wire fraud, health care fraud itself, and the provision of kickbacks. If found guilty, each could potentially receive a prison sentence of up to 65 years.
