LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Two nurses dwelling in Las Vegas are accused of raking in hundreds of thousands as a part of a nationwide investigation into alleged well being care fraud, federal prosecutors introduced Monday.
Paulino Gonzalez, 40, a registered nurse; and Mary Huntly, 67, a nurse practitioner, are two of greater than 300 defendants charged within the U.S. Division of Justice’s 2025 Nationwide Well being Care Fraud Takedown, in accordance with a information launch.
Each Gonzalez’s and Huntly’s prices encompass amniotic wound allografts, a product made with amniotic fluid aimed to assist cussed therapeutic, officers stated.
“Many of the allografts allegedly were applied without coordination with the patients’ treating physicians, without proper treatment for infection, to superficial wounds that did not need this treatment, and to areas that far exceeded the size of the wound,” officers stated. “Certain defendants allegedly received millions in illegal kickbacks from the fraudulent billing scheme.”
Prosecutors allege Gonzalez obtained almost $7.4 million in “illegal kickbacks from an allograft distributor in exchange for recommending the purchasing and ordering of certain allografts billed to Medicare,” they stated.
The corporate working with Gonzalez, which was not named in courtroom paperwork, billed Medicare greater than $94 million for the allografts, prosecutors stated.
Paulino’s report with the Nevada State Board of Nursing reveals an lively license with no prior disciplinary actions.
Huntly’s firm allegedly obtained $9.1 million from fraudulent claims, prosecutors stated. Courtroom paperwork for Huntly weren’t but uploaded to the federal courtroom system as of Monday.
Huntly’s report with the nursing board reveals an lively license with no prior disciplinary actions.
“Today’s unprecedented enforcement action demonstrates that [The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services] and our federal partners are united in our mission to protect the integrity of Medicare and Medicaid by crushing waste, fraud, and abuse,” CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz stated in an announcement. “Every dollar we prevent from going to fraudsters is a dollar that stays in the system to serve legitimate beneficiaries. Through advanced data analytics, real-time monitoring, and swift administrative action, CMS is leading the fight to protect Medicare, Medicaid, and the trust Americans place in these vital programs. We’re not waiting for fraud to happen — we’re stopping it before it starts.”
Information present Gonzalez agreed to a plea deal the place prosecutors would counsel the decrease finish of federal sentencing tips.
In all, the division filed prices towards 324 defendants involving schemes totaling greater than $14.6 billion.
