On Monday, August 14, 2017, Acting U.S. Attorney Steven W. Myhre announced that two California men had been indicted on July the 5th for their participation in a $7.1 million Medicare health care fraud. It is alleged that the two men, 74-year-old Camilo Q. Primero and 61-year-old Aurora S. Beltran, carried out the scheme at three Las Vegas hospices.
Each has been charged with the following.
- One count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud
- One count of health care fraud
- One count of fraudulent concealment involving a federal health care program
- Three counts of false statements relating to a health benefit program
- Thirteen counts of money laundering
The two men face a criminal forfeiture money judgment of at least $7 million. According to the indictment, the two men carried out the crimes from January 1, 2012 to July 5, 2017. During this period of time, Primero was the owner of Angel Eye Hospice, Advent Hospice and Vision Home Health Care. Primero, who is a former doctor, allegedly worked with his business partner, Beltran, to orchestrate a scheme to fraudulently acquire $7.1 million from the federal Medicare program.
The two are accused of submitting false enrollment documents with Medicare to allow Primero to operate hospice and home care agencies through nominees. It is also alleged that the pair submitted hospice care claims for patients that were not terminally ill and did not need hospice care.
The case is currently being investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-OIG, with help from IRS-Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Burns is responsible for prosecuting the case. The two men are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.