The United States Department of Justice announced the largest federal operation against healthcare fraud in the nation's history, with charges against 455 defendants—including more than 90 doctors and licensed professionals—over schemes totaling more than $6.5 billion in false claims to Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurers.
South Florida has become the focus of the investigation. Federal prosecutor Jason A. Reding Quiñones, from the Southern District of the State, announced charges against 12 defendants linked to schemes representing over $4 billion in fraudulent claims for medical equipment, skin substitutes, laboratory tests, and mental health services that were never provided or were unnecessary.
The largest case in South Florida is that of Ibrahim Hilmi, a 58-year-old resident of Miami, formally charged with conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering related to a $3.76 billion scheme.
Hilmi fled to Cyprus in May 2025 and was captured in Kyrenia - the northern region of the island, under Turkish control - before being returned to Miami on June 19th through an unprecedented international cooperation, according to a statement from the Southern District of Florida Department of Justice.
On his part, Giorgi Kimeridze, a 43-year-old citizen of Georgia, was charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering for his role in a healthcare fraud scheme and the laundering of several billion dollars to attack, exploit, and steal from Medicare.
Another prominent accused individual is Casilda Muñiz Rodríguez, 57 years old and a resident of Hialeah, who is alleged to have set up at least 11 fraudulent clinics in South Florida that billed Medicare for over $117 million for skin substitutes and wound care products that never reached the patients. The program paid more than $55 million based on those false claims.
As part of an innovative approach to "follow and seize the money," authorities seized over $27 million in fraudulent Medicare payments in the Southern District of Florida, linked to 12 clinics operating under the same scheme.
Among the other defendants from South Florida are Laura Seiler-Anstett, 55, from Coral Springs, for a $58.3 million medical equipment scheme; Anthony Tursi, 39, from Boynton Beach, for billing unnecessary genetic tests amounting to $62 million; and Rajiv Shah, 65, from Palm Beach Gardens, for fraudulent medical equipment claims exceeding $64 million.
The operation also included Dr. Jason Finkelstein, 53 years old, a cardiologist licensed in 48 states, accused of a $89 million cardiovascular testing scheme.
Authorities noted that Finkelstein reviewed the electrocardiogram of Kaiden Francis, an 18-year-old collegiate basketball student-athlete, in approximately 11 seconds and deemed it normal without alerting the family that the young man had an enlarged heart. He passed away weeks later during a practice.
Eduardo Javier Ibarra Arrowsmith, 61 years old, from Miami, was also accused of assuming the identity of a deceased neurologist to sign at least 34 forms from the Citizenship and Immigration Services that exempted applicants from the English and civics requirements for obtaining U.S. citizenship. His case was previously reported in detail.
In addition, Yilian Cruz, Inti Cruz, and Adaimis Perez Arencibia, all from Miami Lakes and Miami, face charges for a scheme involving over $1 million in fraudulent Medicaid reimbursements for psychosocial rehabilitation services that were never provided.
Rene Yartu Couceiro, 57, from Miami, was accused of paying "donations" in cash to beneficiaries to accept therapies that were then billed without being provided.
"Health care fraud is not just fraud: it is stealing from every American taxpayer. This Department of Justice is no longer satisfied with pursuing the stolen money after it is gone," declared prosecutor Reding Quiñones.
Prosecutors estimate that the total fraud in Florida during 2025 ranges from $309 million to as much as $1 billion.
Nationwide, the operation seized more than $182 million in cash, luxury vehicles, jewelry, and other assets, leading to the suspension of 1,079 healthcare providers and the revocation of billing privileges for another 1,403. If found guilty, several of the defendants could face decades in prison.
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