A Miami man has admitted his guilt in a home health agency’s ploy to defraud Medicare out of $4.2 million.
56-year-old Ramon Collado Gonzalez pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and make false statements in connection with a federal health care benefit program, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Collado Gonzalez was recruited by Milka Alfaro and Mildrey Gonzalez, the owners of Miami-based home health care agency Golden Home Health Care Inc., to fraudulently represent himself as the agency’s owner in about March 2014, Collado Gonzalez admitted in his plea.
Collado Gonzalez also received a monthly payment and occasional bonuses from Alfaro and Mildrey Gonzalez—even though he did not do any actual work for the home health agency—in return for concealing Alfaro’s and Mildrey Gonzalez’s ownership interests, the defendant admitted.
In reality, Collado Gonzalez just signed Medicare applications and additional documents to facilitate the submission of claims to Medicare, as well as to hide Mildrey Gonzalez’s and Alfaro’s ownership interests, the defendant revealed.
Golden Home Health Care Inc. received about $4.2 million from Medicare on account of fraudulent and false claims submitted during the time Collado Gonzalez acted as the agency’s nominee owner, according to admissions made as part of Collado Gonzalez’s plea.
Collado Gonzalez is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 24, 2016.
In June 2016, Alfaro and Mildrey Gonzalez were separately charged in an indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, health care fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, money laundering, and conspiracy to defraud the United States and pay health care kickbacks, among additional charges.
Written by Mary Kate Nelson
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