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Miami-Dade men plead guilty to Medicare scam

By Palm Beach Business.com

MIAMI — Two owners of Miami area assisted living facilities have pleaded guilty to soliciting kickbacks in connection with a $63 million Medicare scam involving a now-defunct company that provided health care services for the mentally ill.

Raymond Rivero, 55 of Homestead, and Ivon Perez, 50 of Miami, each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to solicit and receive cash kickbacks, in federal district court. Rivero, who was the owner of Miami-based God Is First assisted living facility, and Perez, who was the owner of Kayleen and Denis Care Corp, admitted to participating in a scam orchestrated by the owners of Health Care Solutions Network, which ran treatment programs for the severely mentally ill.

According to court records, Rivero and Perez referred Medicare and Medicaid patients to Health Care Solutions in exchange for bribes, including patients that were mentally retarded or suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia who couldn’t benefit from the services the company offered.

Prosecutors say that between 2004 and 2011, Health Care Solutions  billed Medicare and Medicaid about $63 million.

Earlier last week, Daniel Martinez, 45 also of Homestead,  pleaded guilty to similar kickback charges involving Health Care Solutions. Martinez was the owner of the Mi Renacer assisted living facility.