Ten owners of assisted-living facilities in Miami-Dade County have been indicted on charges that they received kickbacks for referring residents to a pharmacy for medications and durable medical equipment, state and federal authorities announced Tuesday.
Charged were Marlene Marrero, 60, of Miami; Blanca Orozco, 69, of Miramar; Norma Casanova, 67, of Miami Lakes; Yeny De Erbiti, 51, of Miami; Rene Vega, 57, of Miami; Maribel Galvan, 43, of Miami Lakes; Dianelys Perez, 34, of Miami Gardens; Osniel Vera, 47, of Hialeah; Alicia Almeida, 56, of Miami Lakes; and Jorge Rodriguez, 57, of Hialeah, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Miami.
They are alleged to have referred assisted-living facility residents to the former owner of Florida Pharmacy, Inc., to receive medications and medical equipment funded through the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The indictment alleges that the defendants received kickbacks and bribes and also made false representations to the Medicaid program, the news release said.
