Marketer of Durable Medical Equipment Admits Multimillion-Dollar Health Care Fraud Scheme
TRENTON, N.J. – A Miami Beach, Florida, man admitted his role in a durable medical equipment health care fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Christopher Vehovec, 31, of Miami Beach, Florida, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court on Aug. 28, 2024, to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
Vehovec and his conspirators solicited and received kickbacks and bribes in exchange for providing durable medical equipment (DME) companies with completed doctors’ orders for medically unnecessary DME, such as orthotic braces. Vehovec and his conspirators utilized the service of telemedicine companies to obtain these prescriptions for DME, and the DME orders were subsequently fraudulently billed to Medicare and other health care benefit programs.
Vehovec and his conspirators caused losses to Medicare and other health care benefit programs of at least $4.2 million.
The charge of conspiracy to commit health care fraud is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross profit or loss caused by the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 27, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, and the Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney DeNae Thomas of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark.