A Florida man was convicted after a 15-day trial found him guilty of defrauding substance abuse rehabilitation facilities' patients out of roughly $112 million.
According to a March 24 news release from the U.S. Department of Justice, Jose Santeiro, 72, of Miami Lakes, Fla., reportedly fraudulently billed for substance abuse treatments that were medically unnecessary or never provided. Santiero served as the former medical director of Compass Detox and the WAR Network LLC outpatient treatment facility.
“Fraudulent billing schemes like this deprive vulnerable patients of needed medical care and divert valuable resources from America’s health care system,” Luis Quesada, FBI Assistant Director of the Criminal Investigative Division, said in the release. “Today’s conviction is a clear warning to anyone engaged in health care fraud that the FBI, together with our partners, will aggressively pursue you and hold you accountable for your actions."
According to the news release, patients were given illegal drugs by recruiters to ensure admittance to Santeiro's centers. The patients were subsequently billed for the most expensive services offered, many of which reportedly never occurred. The patients were also sedated to ensure they stayed in the facilities as long as possible and were shuffled back and forth between the two facilities to accrue as many charges as possible.
"Santeiro’s conviction demonstrates the unwavering commitment of the Department of Justice’s Sober Homes Initiative to protecting patients and prosecuting fraudulent substance abuse treatment facilities," Kenneth Polite Jr., assistant attorney general of the Justice Department's criminal division, said. "Rather than ‘do no harm,’ Santeiro, driven by greed, used his medical license to do unconscionable harm to vulnerable patients struggling with addiction. The department will relentlessly pursue these cases to ensure patients get the care they deserve.”
Santeiro was found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud, as well as eight counts of health care fraud. He faces up to 100 years in prison across all counts.
