Two Health Care Executives Convicted for Exploiting Elderly Medicare Advantage Beneficiaries in $34 Million Fraud Scheme

MIAMI – A Miami federal jury convicted two healthcare executives on Dec. 22, 2025 for their roles in a scheme that resulted in the submission of approximately $34 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare Advantage plans for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment, including back, knee, shoulder, and ankle braces. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Michael Kochen, 42, and Sandro Herek, 56, targeted Medicare Advantage beneficiaries through deceptive telemarketing practices, pressuring elderly individuals to accept medical equipment they did not need — and in some cases, did not want. Over the course of the scheme, more than $17 million was paid by Medicare Advantage plans on fraudulent claims.

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