Tuesday, August 28, 2018

Co-Owners of Miami Pain Management Clinic Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Medically Unnecessary Opioid Prescriptions


The husband and wife co-owners of a Miami pain management clinic and a patient recruiter pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances for their participation in a scheme to unlawfully distribute thousands of pills of oxycodone.

Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Benjamin G. Greenberg for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Robert Lasky of the FBI’s Miami Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Shimon R. Richmond of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Special Agent in Charge Brian Swain of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS), and Special Agent in Charge Adolphus P. Wright of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Miami Field Division made the announcement. 

“The so-called ‘pain clinic’ owned by David Bosch and Tania Sanchez traded oxycodone prescriptions for cash, resulting in bogus, medically unnecessary prescriptions for at least 7,500 tablets of oxycodone,” said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski.  “Pill mills like this must be shut down.  The Department of Justice is committed to reducing the staggering number of opioid overdoses in this country, and holding accountable all responsible parties, from owners of illegal clinics to patient recruiters, for their roles in this deadly scourge.”

David Bosch, 46, and Tania Sanchez, 47, of Hialeah, Florida, and Odalys Abreu, 45, of Miami, Florida, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances before U.S. Magistrate Judge John O’Sullivan of the Southern District of Florida.  Sentencing has been scheduled for Nov. 7 before U.S. District Judge Joan A. Lenard of the Southern District of Florida.  Ledif Acanda Machado, 39, who was charged in this conspiracy, remains a fugitive.

Bosch and Sanchez owned and operated East Medical Office Inc. (“East”), purportedly a pain management clinic located at 3778 West 12th Avenue, in Hialeah, Florida.  Bosch incorporated the cash-only clinic in April 2017 and ran it with Sanchez until their arrests on May 3.  Bosch and Sanchez hired a physician to be the purported medical doctor of East because they knew the physician would write prescriptions for oxycodone without regard to medical necessity.   They paid the physician $125 for each prescription.  They also conspired with patient recruiters and drug diverters to distribute oxycodone.  Bosch introduced a purported patient recruiter to Machado and Abreu and informed the recruiter that the recruiter could make money by obtaining oxycodone pills from medically unnecessary prescriptions from East and then selling the pills.  Additionally, Sanchez filled out fraudulent medical paperwork for purported patients. 

Abreu recruited her own patients to visit East.  Abreu brought to East at least 18 individuals who paid approximately $250 for each purported “medical consultation” in order to receive controlled substances, especially oxycodone, that were not medically necessary.  Abreu’s recruits received prescriptions for at least 5,000 tablets of oxycodone 30 mg.  Abreu also offered to purchase pills from another individual whom she believed was a patient recruiter at East.

The charges in an indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

This case was investigated by the FBI, HHS-OIG, USSS, and the DEA.  Trial Attorney Adam Yoffie of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is prosecuting the case.

The Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which is part of a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and HHS to focus their efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country.  The Medicare Fraud Strike Force operates in 10 locations nationwide.  Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force has charged over 3,700 defendants who collectively have falsely billed the Medicare program over $14 billion.

No comments: