Pedro E. Rivera

On July 25, 2012, Pedro Rivera was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in prison and ordered to pay $159,855 in restitution after pleading guilty to health care fraud charges

Pedro E. Rivera was captured in March 2012 by U.S. Border Patrol Agents in Falfurrias, Texas, for alleged illegal entry into the United States.

In August 2009, a Federal indictment was issued for Rivera, charging him with health care fraud and forfeiture. Investigators believe that Rivera caused his durable medical equipment (DME) company to submit more than $1.5 million in Medicare claims for DME that was neither prescribed by doctors nor delivered to patients.

According to the indictment, in January 2009, Rivera became the President of A&M Medical Equipment Services, Inc., in Miami, Florida. From January through April 2009, A&M Medical allegedly submitted more than $1.5 million in false claims to Medicare for wound care supplies, urinary catheter supplies, and other DME purportedly provided to Medicare beneficiaries. However, these supplies were neither prescribed by doctors nor delivered to Medicare patients. Investigators believe that A&M Medical submitted claims for at least six deceased beneficiaries during that timeframe.

According to the indictment, A&M received $159,855 in payments from Medicare, and Rivera allegedly transferred these funds from the A&M Medical checking account to himself and others.

This case was investigated as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, a coordinated effort by Federal, State, and local law enforcement entities aimed at quickly identifying and prosecuting those alleged to have committed health care fraud.