BROWNSVILLE, Texas — The operators of a durable medical equipment company based in Harlingen have been indicted for allegedly defrauding Medicare, according to U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Maria Luisa Yzaguirre, 43, and Jeremiah Yzaguirre, 44, both of Harlingen, are facing charges of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering. Maria Luisa was taken into custody on Aug. 31, while Jeremiah was arrested on Aug. 22.
The indictment alleges that from 2019 to 2023, the Yzaguirres submitted over $14 million in claims to Medicare for power wheelchairs, power scooters, parts, and repairs for 37 individuals. They reportedly billed Medicare more than $600,000 for parts and repairs for a single beneficiary and falsely claimed to have replaced expensive parts multiple times.
In one instance, they reportedly billed Medicare approximately $736,072 in parts and repairs for a bed-bound patient who did not have access to the power wheelchair when the repairs were supposedly conducted.
Source: Medical equipment company operators charged with defrauding Medicare / My Texas Daily