A TV entrepreneur was denied bail by federal judge in Miami this week. The man stands accused of Medicare fraud for his role as titleholder of Trust Care Health Services. The company has been charged collectively for obtaining some $223 million in Medicare payments through illegal invoices. The Justice Department stated that the man and his wife filed more than $20 million in false Medicare invoices and received more than $15 million in improper payments.
The businessman is also the owner of Cubana de Television’s local cable station. He has appeared in television roles on Miami Vice and other programs. The channel has gone off the air since the arrest of the couple. In his work in the television industry, he has made several trips to Cuba over the years. He was denied bail on the grounds that he is a potential flight risk, likely based on those trips to Cuba.
The couple is accused of being part of a group of 89 people, including doctors, nurses, and others, who conspired to commit Medicare fraud. The group worked in several locations, including Miami, Los Angeles and Detroit. A massive Medicare fraud sting led to the arrest of all 89 in mid-May.
Medicare fraud arrests have become increasingly common recently. Business owners, as well as doctors, nurses, administrators and others associated with the health care industry have found themselves in trouble concerning Medicare billing practices.
Source: Miami Herald, “Bail denied to Miami TV star caught up in Medicare fraud case,” by Enrique Flor, 12 June 2013
