Two Miami Doctors Sentenced for $31 Million in False Medicare Claims as Part of a DME Fraud  Scheme

A pair of Miami doctors recently were sentenced for their parts in a scheme to steal from Medicare by making more than $31 million in false DME claims.

Dr. Dean Zusmer, a chiropractor, was sentenced to eight years and one month in prison and ordered to pay $1.4 million in restitution. Dr. Lawrence Alexander, an orthopedic surgeon was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison. His restitution will be determined at a later hearing.

As we previously wrote about, the two were found guilty by a federal jury in January. Zusmer was convicted of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, healthcare fraud, conspiracy to pay illegal healthcare kickbacks, paying illegal healthcare kickbacks and false statements relating to healthcare matters. He faced up to ten years behind bars. Alexander was convicted of false statements relating to healthcare matters and faced up to five years in prison.

Zusmer owned one of four DME companies that collectively billed Medicare for more than $31 million for medically unnecessary equipment, of which over $15 million was paid. He and his co-conspirators, including Jeremy Waxman, acquired patient referrals and signed doctors’ orders by paying kickbacks to marketers who used overseas call centers to solicit patients and telemedicine companies to obtain prescriptions for unnecessary braces for patients. Waxman previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and wire fraud and was sentenced to more than 15 years in prison

Alexander owned one of the DME companies with Waxman and concealed their roles in the scheme by putting the company in the name of one of Alexander’s family members.

Two others, Ronald Davidovic, the owner of a Broward marketing company, pleaded guilty to healthcare fraud conspiracy and was sentenced to almost six years. Umut Vardar, a managing partner of Davidovic’s marketing company, remains at large.

All were charged in August 2021.

The Health Law Offices of Anthony C. Vitale represents healthcare professionals in state and federal court who are charged with fraudulent billing, kickbacks, Medicare and Medicaid fraud and false claims, among others. For more information, contact us at 305-358-4500 or email info@vitalehealthlaw.com.