Two Miami Patient Recruiters Sentenced for Submitting False Claims, Paying Kickbacks

Written by Jaimie Oh | July 27, 2010

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Two Miami-area residents were sentenced for their involvement in a fraud scheme that operated out of a clinic, according to a news release by the Department of Justice.

Keith Earnest Humes and Lawrence Edward Humes were patient recruiters for Tendercare Medical Center, a fraudulent HIV/AIDS infusion clinic. Keith Humes and Lawrence Humes admitted to conspiring with others to defraud Medicare by submitting false claims for injection and infusion treatments that were medically unnecessary or never provided. Keith Humes and Lawrence Humes also admitted to paying kickbacks to beneficiaries in exchange for their Medicare numbers and signatures, which Tendercare used to submit false claims.

Between Jan. 2005 and Dec. 2007, Tendercare submitted approximately $5.8 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, of which $2.7 million was paid back to the organization.

Keith Humes was sentenced to 84 months in prison, three years of supervision upon release and was ordered to pay restitution. Lawrence Humes was sentenced to 33 months in prison, three years of supervision upon release and ordered to pay restitution.

Read the Department of Justice's news release on the Tendercare fraud.

Read other coverage on Florida healthcare fraud:

- Miami Clinic Owner convicted of Medicare Fraud

- Miami Clinic Owner Arrested for Medicare Fraud

- Florida Physician Charged as Part of Healthcare Fraud Sting

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