A South Florida man is facing federal charges after authorities say he was involved in a massive Medicare fraud operation worth billions of dollars.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Ibrahim Hilmi was arrested in Cyprus in connection with an alleged scheme involving fraudulent Medicare claims. Investigators say Hilmi operated Sunshine Senior Solutions, a medical supply store in Delray Beach, along with another company.
Federal prosecutors allege the businesses submitted about $3.7 billion in false claims to Medicare for medical equipment that patients never received. Authorities also claim that money from the scheme was transferred to a foreign entity based in Hong Kong.
Hilmi's arrest comes as part of a nationwide healthcare fraud crackdown announced by the Justice Department this week.
Federal officials said 455 people in 45 states and territories, including Florida, have been charged in connection with various health care fraud schemes. The Attorney General said the cases involve more than $6.5 billion in false claims submitted to government and private health care programs.
The Justice Department said the enforcement effort is one of the largest health care fraud takedowns ever conducted by federal authorities.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Get the latest weather updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.
Three Oklahomans have been charged as part of a federal crackdown on health care fraud throughout the United States. More than 450 people, including doctors and nurse practitioners across 45 states...