Enrique Gonzalez Figueredo

Enrique Gonzalez Figueredo was extradited to the United States from Peru July 25 by the United States Marshals Service.

In May 2008, Enrique Gonzalez (aka Enrique Gonzalez Figueredo) and co-conspirator Ronald Harris were indicted on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States, to cause the submission of false claims, and to pay health care kickbacks; conspiracy to commit health care fraud; submission of false claims; money laundering; money laundering conspiracy; and false statements. Investigators believe that Gonzalez and Harris billed Medicare for over $26 million for medical services that were not provided or were not necessary.

Also involved in the conspiracy but charged separately were OIG Most Wanted Fugitives Carlos, Luis, and Jose Benitez. The Benitez brothers allegedly owned approximately 11 medical clinics, including Physicians Med-Care and Physicians Health Med-Care. They were indicted in May 2008 for what investigators believe was a $100 million Medicare fraud scheme. Arrest warrants were issued for all three brothers, who remain at large.

Gonzalez was the director of Physicians Med-Care and Physicians Health Med-Care, two Florida-based medical clinics that allegedly provided infusion therapy for HIV patients. Harris was a Miami physician who worked for the clinics as the medical director and whose identifying information was allegedly used to bill Medicare for services.

According to the indictment, Gonzalez provided cash to his co-conspirators for the purpose of paying kickbacks to Medicare beneficiaries. In return, the beneficiaries signed documents stating that they received treatments at the clinics, even though the treatments were not provided or were not necessary. The clinics then billed Medicare for these treatments. Investigators believe that after receiving payments from Medicare, Gonzalez and his co-conspirators transferred approximately $3.4 million to sham management, marketing, and investment companies owned and operated by their co-conspirators.

Gonzalez is also charged with making false statements after allegedly lying to Federal agents when interviewed during the investigation. Gonzalez was recently detained in Peru. In November 2008, Harris was sentenced to 84 months in prison and ordered to pay $9.8 million in restitution.

Other conspirators in the scheme included: Thomas McKenzie, a physician's assistant who worked with the Benitez brothers at the clinics and who was sentenced in December 2008 to 14 years in prison and ordered to pay $84 million in restitution; Ana Alvarez-Jacinto, a physician who worked with the Benitez brothers at one of their clinics and who was sentenced in December 2008 to 30 years in prison; Sandra Mateos, a nurse (and ex-wife of Luis Benitez) who worked with the Benitez brothers at one of their clinics and who was sentenced to 7 years in prison; and Carmen Gonzalez, a nurse who was employed by the Benitez brothers and who has a bench warrant out for her arrest and remains a fugitive.

On February 10, 2013, Gonzalez was sentenced to 5 years and 10 months of incarceration and ordered to pay more than $17.5 million in restitution, joint and several.