Florida woman pleads guilty to laundering stolen money

U.S. Department of Justice. (U.S. Department of Justice)

FLORIDA — A Florida woman pleaded guilty yesterday to laundering $735,695 in money stolen from Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurers as part of a sprawling health care fraud scheme in Miami, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced.

According to court documents, Loyda Triana, 65, of Miami, laundered the fraudulent proceeds of five fraudulent medical supply companies over a two-year-period.

The companies — BF Distributors Corp, Timely Medical Services Corp., Ortho-Med Solution Inc., Expedited Medical Supplies Corp., and Prime Orthopedic Solutions Corp — were fake medical supply companies that billed Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurers more than $48 million for medical equipment the companies never actually purchased and never actually provided to any patients, the DOJ said.

Triana laundered the stolen money by cashing checks issued by these companies and returning the cash, minus a fee, to her co-conspirators. To date, more than 15 individuals have been charged as part of the government’s investigation into this fraud and money laundering scheme, the DOJ said.

Triana pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. The DOJ said she is scheduled to be sentenced on May 25 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The announcement was made by Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Omar Pérez Aybar of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Miami Regional Office; Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBI’s Miami Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Kyle A. Myles of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of the Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), Atlanta Regional Office; and Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody.

The FBI, HHS-OIG, FDIC-OIG, and Florida’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit are investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Alexander Thor Pogozelski of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is prosecuting the case.