A Delafield man has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for his role in a healthcare kickback conspiracy. Bruce Johnson, 72, was sentenced on January 30, 2026, by United States District Judge J.P. Stadtmueller for violating the Anti-Kickback Statute.
Johnson and Michael Comino co-owned Kestrel Medical LLC, a durable medical equipment supplier based in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. The company provided orthotic devices such as braces for various body parts. Johnson had certified that Kestrel would comply with Medicare regulations but began paying kickbacks in 2018 to companies claiming to provide marketing services. These payments were made in exchange for signed prescriptions for equipment that Kestrel then billed to Medicare.
In February 2020, Comino became an equal partner at Kestrel. The company continued the practice of offering and paying kickbacks for doctors’ orders. This scheme led Medicare to pay more than $2 million to Kestrel. Before the company filed for bankruptcy, Johnson transferred $150,000 from Kestrel’s assets to one of Comino’s companies.
At sentencing, Judge Stadtmueller emphasized the seriousness of Johnson’s actions and the need to deter similar offenses. In addition to prison time, Johnson must serve three years of supervised release and pay over $2 million in restitution to Medicare. Comino previously pleaded guilty and received a sentence of 22 months' imprisonment along with supervised release and restitution.
U.S. Attorney Brad D. Schimel said: “Fraudsters like these are stealing directly from all of us out of utter greed. As our nation debates how to make health care affordable, a critical first step is to stop fraud. Federal investigators and prosecutors have made it a top priority to get those who commit public benefits fraud locked up.”
FBI Milwaukee Special Agent in Charge Alan Karr added: “Mr. Johnson and his co-conspirator devised a scheme to defraud the American people. This sentencing and restitution order sends a clear message that healthcare kickback schemes will not be tolerated,” he said.“The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to combat and prevent healthcare fraud.”
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General; Assistant U.S. Attorney John Scully prosecuted the case.
