U.S. attorney makes Medicare task force permanent, announces indictment

MIAMI — How prevalent is Medicare fraud in South Florida? So prevalent that U.S. Attorney R. Alexander Acosta announced Wednesday that he has made the district’s Medicare Strike Force — aimed at combating Medicare fraud — a permanent part of his office.

He also announced the strike force’s first indictment as a permanent entity: Reinel Pulido, a Miami businessman accused of participating in a scam that took Medicare for more than $15 million.

Pulido, indicted Tuesday, faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted on the health care fraud charge.

According to the indictment, Pulido owned and operated Soroa Medical Services, a Miami-based infusion clinic. Between February 2005 and this November, Pulido submitted nearly $15.7 million in false claims to Medicare for treatment never ordered by a doctor and neve received by any patients.

He received about $1.6 million in payments as a result.