Fraud Charges In Florida

Fraud charges are nothing to fiddle around with.  If you’ve been charged with fraud, chances are an investigation involving multiple state and/or federal agencies has been underway for quite some time, and there is likely a paper trail linking you to fraudulent and illegal acts.  Now more than ever you need an experienced criminal defense attorney fighting for a fair shake.

Recent Florida Fraud Cases

The owners of a telemarketing company faced charges for participating in a health care kickback scheme involving nearly $50 million. Facing a count of conspiracy and several counts of actual health care fraud, as well as conspiracy to money launder and actual money laundering, each of the gentlemen are facing decades behind bars if convicted.

50 years behind bars.  That’s the potential penalty facing Bradly Jason Kantor after being indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and other four counts of committing health care fraud. What did Kantor do to wind up in such dire straits?  According to the indictment, he ran a clinic.  In the course of conducting business, the funneled kickbacks in exchange for referrals to the clinic, then billed insurance companies for services never delivered. This, to the tune of $42 million In fraudulent claims, providing a net gain of over $12 million.  It was enough to pay for a beautiful home in Key Largo, a couple of Winnebago’s, and a yacht measuring 37 feet.  All this, just to eventually wind up in prison. Such is the outcome when fraud is prosecuted in Florida.

What is Fraud? 

While the cases above deal with medical fraud, fraud is any type of falsification of the truth, whether it relates to the art world, medical world, taxes, or anything else.  It can be outright lying, or simply keeping the facts hidden in order to gain some benefit.  A prosecutor must prove that an individual knew they were straying from the facts, and that their lies made a material difference that caused injury to someone else. In other words, there was intent to mislead someone else, and the victim of that fraud relied on the accused for factual information.  In addition to serious time behind bars, perpetrators of fraud are often expected to pay restitution to victims.

Convictions Are Serious 

Fraud charges generally are accompanied by other kinds of charges, such as conspiracy, money laundering, counterfeiting, and so forth.  A conviction could change your life forever.  That’s why you need aggressive defense tactics and negotiating skills from a Kissimmee federal crimes attorney well versed in federal law.  At Salazar & Kelly Law Group, P.A., we know that your future is in jeopardy, and we’ll go to the mats for you.  Schedule a free, confidential consultation in our office today.

Resources:

justice.gov/opa/pr/three-florida-men-charged-46-million-health-care-fraud-kickback-and-money-laundering

justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/south-florida-medical-clinic-owner-charged-orchestrating-42-million-health-care-fraud