Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on May 29, 2025, U.S. District Judge Joseph P. Stadtmueller sentenced Michael G.V. Comino to 22 months' imprisonment for conspiracy to pay and receive healthcare kickbacks in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute. Comino was also ordered to pay over $2 million in restitution to Medicare.
Court records indicate that Comino and his co-defendant owned Kestrel Medical LLC, a company supplying durable medical equipment like orthotic devices. Starting in August 2019, Comino provided "leads" or signed doctors' orders to Kestrel in exchange for kickback payments to two companies he owned. In February 2020, Comino became a fifty percent owner of Kestrel and continued offering and paying kickbacks for signed doctors' orders. The nature of these payments was concealed by paying invoices for marketing hours. As a result, Medicare paid over $2 million to Kestrel, with Comino personally receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars from the company during 2019 and 2020.
"The United States Attorney Office prioritizes efforts to stop healthcare fraud and will continue to hold accountable individuals who intentionally misuse Medicare and Medicaid dollars," said Acting U.S. Attorney Frohling. "The restitution order and prison sentence in this case underscore that providers of medical equipment and supplies cannot engage in unlawful schemes that put their interests ahead of those of the American taxpayer."
"Individuals like Mr. Comino must face the consequences of their actions that defrauded the American people and wasted taxpayer money. This case sends a clear message that healthcare kickback schemes won’t be tolerated," said FBI Milwaukee Special Agent in Charge Michael Hensle. "The FBI will continue to work vigorously with our partners to combat and prevent healthcare fraud."
"The conduct in this investigation highlights a scheme whereby the defendant prioritized profits over patient care, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute," said Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). "Working together with our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG will continue to protect the integrity of federal health care programs."
The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney John Scully prosecuted.
