McALLEN, Texas ‐ An owner of a Rio Grande Valley area home health company has been ordered to prison for his conviction of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Miguel Angel Contreras, 44, McAllen, pleaded guilty April 14, 2016.
U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez ordered Contreras to serve a 45-month sentence to be immediately followed by one year of supervised release. Contreras was also ordered to pay $1,037,353.78 in restitution. In handing down the sentence, Judge Alvarez noted the lengthy duration of the fraud and the multiple ways in which the fraud was committed.
Contreras was an owner and administrator for Sambritt Home Health LLC. As part of his plea, he admitted he submitted false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for reimbursement of home health services that were not provided, that a physician had not authorized and/or were not medically necessary.
Source: RGV Home Health Care Co. Owner Sent to Prison for Fraud / Texas Border Business