Two Florida men pleaded guilty to participating in a kickback scheme that steered veterans to an Orlando medical provider responsible for billing more than $14 million in claims, the Justice Department announced Thursday.
Laurent Cassagnol, 43, and Heriberto Rivera, 43, both of Orlando, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to pay and receive illegal health care kickbacks and bribes.
According to court documents, the men conspired to refer patients participating in the Department of Veterans Affairs Community Care Program to Family Integrative Medicine of Orlando LLC. The practice provided acupuncture, chiropractic adjustments and other holistic medical services.
Rivera, the company’s CEO, admitted paying kickbacks and bribes to Cassagnol, who worked as an advanced medical support assistant for the VA program. In exchange for the payments, Cassagnol directed veterans to Rivera’s practice for medical services, prosecutors said.
Cassagnol admitted accepting the payments.
The Justice Department said the VA and its Community Care Program received more than $14 million in claims obtained through the illegal referral arrangement. More than $11 million of those claims was paid.
The VA Community Care Program allows eligible veterans to receive medical services from approved providers outside VA facilities under certain circumstances.
The investigation began after someone submitted a complaint to the VA Office of Inspector General’s fraud hotline. The FBI and VA inspector general’s office are investigating the case.
Cassagnol and Rivera are scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 5. Each faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. A district court judge will determine their sentences after considering federal sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
Trial attorneys Angela Benoit and Jody King of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
Since 2007, the Justice Department’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program has charged more than 6,200 defendants accused of collectively billing federal health programs and private insurers more than $45 billion, according to the department.
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