Washington — Federal prosecutors charged the owners of an Arizona wound care company and two nurse practitioners who worked with them for conspiring to defraud Medicare of over $900 million after they allegedly targeted elderly patients — many of them terminally ill — in a sprawling medical scheme, the Justice Department announced Thursday.
Investigators seized over $50 million from the alleged conspirators and confiscated four luxury cars, gold, and jewelry, Attorney General Merrick Garland said.The skin graft scheme was announced as part of a broader two-week law enforcement initiative targeting various healthcare fraud schemes across the country.The Justice Department said 193 defendants — including over 70 licensed healthcare professionals — were charged for racking up more than $1.5 billion in losses.