Florida women going to prison for role in alleged falsified medical study

FLORIDA — Two Florida medical study coordinators have been ordered to prison in connection with their part in an alleged scheme to falsify medical trial data, the U.S. Department of Justice has announced.

According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), a federal judge sentenced the two Florida women in connection with their participation in an alleged conspiracy to falsify clinical trial data.

Senior U.S. District Judge Donald L. Graham of the Southern District of Florida sentenced Analay Rico, 37, of Fort Lauderdale, to 40 months in prison and Daylen Diaz, 44, of Miami, to 24 months in prison. The court also ordered Rico and Diaz to pay approximately $2.1 million in restitution.

According to court documents, Rico worked as a lead study coordinator for a clinical research firm based in Miami called Tellus Clinical Research (Tellus). Diaz was a research assistant and assistant study coordinator at Tellus.

As part of their plea agreements, Rico and Diaz admitted that they agreed with others to defraud clients paying for clinical trial work intended to evaluate treatments for various medical conditions, including opioid dependency, irritable bowel syndrome, and diabetic nephropathy.

Among other things, Rico and Diaz admitted they falsified data to make it appear as though subjects were participating in the trials when, in truth, they were not, the DOJ said.

According to the DOJ, three co-conspirators previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced for their roles in the scheme.

Trial against three remaining defendants charged by indictment in connection with Tellus, Dr. Martin Valdes, 66, of Coral Gables, Florida, Fidalgis Font, 55, of Miami, and Julio Lopez, 55, of Hialeah, Florida, is currently set for Jan. 10, 2023.

The Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations is investigating the case.

Trial Attorneys Lauren M. Elfner, Joshua D. Rothman and Wandaly Fernandez Garcia of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida is providing critical assistance.