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Texas DME Owner Gets 90 Months for $59.9 Million Medicare Brace Fraud

The sentence caps a Strike Force prosecution that exposed sham doctors' orders used to bill Medicare.

Overview

  • Patrick Cassells, 65, of Fulshear, Texas, pleaded guilty in June 2024 to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
  • Through three durable medical equipment companies, he caused about $59.9 million in false claims, and Medicare paid more than $27 million.
  • He concealed his role in one company by falsely listing another person as sole owner and manager on a Medicare enrollment application.
  • He paid illegal kickbacks for signed doctors' orders labeled as “leads” and “marketing,” then billed for unnecessary knee, back, shoulder, and wrist braces.
  • The court ordered $25,402,614.97 in restitution and forfeiture, including four vehicles and three Houston-area properties, following an investigation by HHS-OIG, the FBI, and the Texas Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.