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MIAMI---A father and son have been indicted in connection with an alleged Medicare kickback scheme involving a Hialeah physical and occupational therapy clinic.
The federal indictment, returned by a grand jury on May 15, charges Sebastian Silvera and his father, Julio O. Silvera, with conspiracy to pay kickbacks and paying kickbacks involving a federal health care program. Both defendants were arrested by federal agents Wednesday and made their initial appearances in U.S. Magistrate Court in Miami. If convicted, the Silveras each face up to five years in prison on the conspiracy charge and five years on each of the substantive counts of paying kickbacks. Sebastian and Julio Silvera were each indicted on six counts of paying kickbacks.
According to the indictment, the defendants offered and paid cash payments to health care providers as kickbacks to induce the providers to refer Medicare beneficiaries to St. Louis Rehabilitation Program, Inc., a company co-owned by Sebastian and Julio Silvera.
U.S. Attorney R. Alexander Acosta noted that the prosecution of the Silveras is the direct result of the health care fraud initiative announced Dec. 1, 2005. The initiative is part of a multi-agency effort to attack health care fraud schemes that affect government-funded health insurance programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, in South Florida. 5-26-06
© 2006 North
Country Gazette
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