Cuban migrant arrested at sea for Medicare fraud, money laundering

bizjournals

Brian Bandell

Hector Hernandez, who fled the U.S. after he was indicted on charges of Medicare fraud and money laundering, was arrested while sailing from Cuba to Florida, federal prosecutors said.

Hernandez, who reportedly absconded in July 2009, allegedly had Miami-based Complete Medical Center submit $3.1 million in false claims for durable medical equipment for products that were never prescribed by doctors or provided to Medicare beneficiaries, prosecutors said.

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Medicare paid $1.4 million of the bad claims the company submitted, prosecutors added.

That money could go a long way in Cuba, but Hernandez still had the itch to come to U.S. shores. He was arrested Jan. 6 aboard a vessel transporting Cuban immigrants to Key West.

Dozens of Medicare fraud suspects are believed to have fled to Cuba to avoid prosecution, as the Cuban government rarely extradites those accused of such crimes to the U.S., authorities say.