$34 Million Medicare Fraud Exposed in Miami

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Two Miami healthcare executives were just convicted for stealing $34 million from Medicare Advantage plans by exploiting elderly Americans.

Story Highlights

Michael Kochen and Sandro Herek convicted of $34 million Medicare Advantage fraud targeting seniors
Scheme used deceptive telemarketing and fake telemedicine orders for unnecessary medical braces
Medicare Advantage plans paid over $17 million on fraudulent claims before scheme was exposed
Case highlights ongoing government waste and abuse of programs designed to help America’s seniors

Executives Exploit Vulnerable Seniors Through Phone Scams

Michael Kochen, 42, and Sandro Herek, 56, orchestrated a sophisticated fraud operation that preyed on elderly Medicare Advantage beneficiaries across South Florida and beyond. The defendants controlled telemarketing operations that contacted seniors with misleading claims about their eligibility for “free” medical braces. These high-pressure sales tactics specifically targeted vulnerable older Americans who trusted the callers’ false representations about medical necessity and insurance coverage.

The scheme relied heavily on deceptive practices that violated seniors’ trust in the healthcare system. Telemarketers working for the defendants misrepresented beneficiaries’ medical needs and insurance benefits to pressure them into accepting braces they neither wanted nor required. This exploitation of America’s elderly population represents exactly the kind of predatory behavior that undermines confidence in legitimate healthcare services and wastes taxpayer dollars meant to protect our most vulnerable citizens.

Miami Jury Convicts Two Executives in $34M Medicare Advantage Brace Fraud Scheme https://t.co/JPE3I6i9XF

— ConservativeLibrarian (@ConserLibrarian) January 11, 2026

Sham Medical Orders Circumvent Proper Healthcare Oversight

The convicted executives used complicit physicians to rubber-stamp pre-filled medical orders without conducting proper examinations or establishing genuine medical necessity. These sham telemedicine consultations created a false veneer of legitimacy while completely bypassing the medical oversight intended to protect patients and prevent fraud. The physicians involved essentially acted as signature mills, approving orders that had already been completed before any patient interaction occurred.

This abuse of telemedicine represents a concerning trend where technology meant to improve healthcare access gets weaponized by fraudsters. The defendants exploited gaps in Medicare Advantage oversight to flood the system with unnecessary claims, demonstrating how government programs can be manipulated when proper safeguards aren’t enforced. Such schemes not only steal taxpayer money but also compromise the integrity of legitimate medical care for seniors who genuinely need these services.

Justice Department Secures Conviction in Miami Federal Court

A Miami federal jury convicted both defendants on December 22, 2025, following a trial that exposed the full scope of their fraudulent enterprise. The evidence presented included telemarketing scripts, recorded phone calls, falsified physician orders, and detailed claims data showing the systematic nature of the fraud. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida successfully demonstrated how the defendants built their criminal enterprise specifically to exploit federal healthcare programs.

The conviction sends a strong message that the Trump administration’s Justice Department will aggressively pursue healthcare fraudsters who target America’s seniors. With Medicare Advantage plans having paid over $17 million on these bogus claims, the case highlights the urgent need for stronger oversight of government healthcare programs. The defendants now face substantial prison sentences, restitution payments, and permanent exclusion from federal healthcare programs—consequences that should deter similar schemes targeting vulnerable Americans.