Overview
- A federal jury in the Middle District of Florida found Joel Rufus French guilty of conspiracy to commit health care and wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and conspiracy to offer, pay, solicit, and receive kickbacks.
- Evidence showed he used overseas call centers to pressure elderly Americans, including people with Alzheimer’s and dementia, and altered call recordings to fabricate consent for orthotic braces.
- French paid sham telemedicine companies for signed medical orders without legitimate examinations, then sold those orders to marketers and suppliers that submitted claims to Medicare and CHAMPVA.
- He billed through eight durable medical equipment companies he controlled while hiding his ownership, with claims even filed for deceased beneficiaries and amputees.
- He faces up to 20 years on the health care and wire fraud conspiracy, 10 years for money laundering conspiracy, and five years for the kickback conspiracy, and the case was investigated by HHS-OIG, the FBI, and VA-OIG.