Pharmacy owner makes $21M Medicare fraud scheme a family affair

Daniel Suarez, a 24-year-old pharmacy owner in Miami, and members of his family scammed Medicare for $21 million, according to the Washington Post.

Mr. Suarez, a licensed pharmacy technician, ran eight pharmacies in Miami with several relatives, including his mother. However, the small pharmacies were only a front for their illegal activity that involved paying patients and recruiters to gain access to Medicare identification numbers then billing the government payer for medications that were never dispensed.

Mr. Suarez did not keep a low profile with the proceeds of the fraud scheme. He shelled out his ill-gotten gains on luxury vehicles, including a Rolls Royce Ghost, a Bentley, a Ranger Rover, and a Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG.

In September, Mr. Suarez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and wire fraud. Earlier this month, he was sentenced to nine years in prison for his role in the scheme, according to the report.

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