Caridad Guilarte

Clara and Caridad Guilarte were sentenced on November 3, 2011 in Miami. Each is to serve 14 years in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release. They were also ordered to pay approximately $6 million in restitution, jointly with co-defendants.

Sisters Clara and Caridad Guilarte were captured in Colombia on March 13, 2011. They pleaded guilty in August 2011 to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Along with previously captured co-conspirator Reynel Betancourt, the Guilartes submitted $9.1 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for services that were medically unnecessary or never provided.

The Guilartes operated the Dearborn Medical and Rehabilitation Center (DMRC), an infusion therapy clinic in Michigan, where Betancourt was an employee.

All three fugitives allegedly committed health care fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering. The trio recruited and paid cash and other inducements to Medicare beneficiaries to visit DMRC and sign forms indicating that they received legitimate medical services, including injections and infusions of expensive medications, although the services were never provided.