A federal appeals court has upheld the conviction of a Florida nursing home owner who had his 20-year prison sentence commuted by former President Donald Trump, according to a Jan. 6 Law360 report.
Philip Esformes was convicted in 2019 of fraud, illegal kickbacks and money laundering in what federal prosecutors described at the time as the "largest health care fraud scheme charged by the U.S. Justice Department," according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Mr. Esformes was sentenced to 20 years in prison and ordered to pay about $5.5 million in restitution and forfeit $38.7 million, the Sun Sentinel said.
Mr. Esformes, who operated a network of more than 30 skilled nursing homes and assisted living facilities, was initially found guilty on 20 charges. President Trump granted him the commutation, adding that Mr. Esformes was in declining health, but the convictions and other parts of the sentence were left intact.