Akim Mena

After Federal arrest warrants were issued for Orlando Mena, Xiomara Rodriguez, and their son Akim Mena, the family members fled the United States to Cuba and later to Ecuador. Fugitives Rodriguez and Akim Mena were arrested on August 24, 2012, and Orlando Mena was arrested on September 5, 2012. All three were arrested after arriving in Miami International Airport from Ecuador.

Rodriguez was sentenced on October 1, 2013 to 7 years in prison. Orlando Mena was sentenced November 19, 2013 to 10 years in prison. Akim Mena was sentenced on November 20, 2013 to 3-plus years in prison. Their joint and several restitution is $1,479,980.96.

In September 2011, the three defendants were indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, health care fraud, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and criminal forfeiture. Investigators believe that the defendants billed Medicare for more than $2.28 million for office visits and tests that were medically unnecessary.

According to court documents, Orlando Mena controlled and directed operations at two Detroit-area health care provider companies: World Health Care Medical Center, LLC (WHC), and Wyoming Medical Center, LLC (WMC). The three defendants, along with their co-conspirators, allegedly offered and paid kickbacks and bribes, including cash and prescriptions for Oxycontin, to Medicare beneficiaries in exchange for visiting their businesses and undergoing medically unnecessary tests, including nerve conduction tests. The conspirators then submitted false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for the medically unnecessary office visits and tests. Between August 2008 and June 2010, the defendants also caused the billing of more than 300,000 prescriptions for Oxycontin.

Investigators believe that Orlando Mena recruited Medicare beneficiaries, Akim Mena assisted in the management and payment of beneficiary recruiters, and Rodriguez caused the submission of fraudulent claims to Medicare. The three defendants were also involved in transferring and disbursing Medicare funds from the WHC and WMC corporate accounts to themselves and others. Orlando Mena and Xiomara Rodriguez are the divorced parents of Akim Mena.