Trump commutes 35-year sentence for woman involved in $200M Medicare fraud scheme

Alongside 10 other grants of clemency, President Donald Trump commuted the sentence Feb. 18 of a woman convicted for her involvement in a record-breaking $200 million mental health fraud scheme.

After being convicted in 2011 on 24 counts of conspiracy, fraud, kickbacks and money laundering, Judith Negrón was sentenced to 35 years in prison, according to the Tampa Bay Times. Ms. Negrón ran MedLink Professional Management Group, which was used to launder Medicare payments to the owners of Miami-based American Therapeutic Corp., a chain of mental health clinics, and others involved in the fraud scheme. The scheme involved billing Medicare for therapy sessions that were unnecessary, not provided or given to patients with questionable eligibility for counseling treatment, according to the Tampa Bay Times

Some felt Ms. Negrón's sentence was too long because she was a nonviolent, first-time offender, according to the Times. After eight years, her sentence was commuted alongside four others, most notably former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, because they "have paid their debts to society and have worked to improve their lives and the lives of others while incarcerated," according to a White House statement from the press secretary. 

"According to her warden, Ms. Negrón 'has always shown herself to be a model inmate who works extremely well with others and has established a good working relationship with staff and inmates,'" the statement said. 

The decision comes about four months after the president issued an executive order to crack down on fraud, waste and abuse in the Medicare program. 

 

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