A federal jury in Fort Lauderdale has found Christian “Chris” Cruz, 45, a nursing assistant from Pompano Beach, Florida, guilty for his role in an extensive $11.4 million health care and wire fraud scheme. Prosecutors said the operation involved shipping thousands of medically unnecessary orthotic braces to Medicare beneficiaries nationwide and billing taxpayers for the costs.
Evidence presented during the trial showed that Cruz owned and operated a Florida-based durable medical equipment (DME) company that submitted millions of dollars in fraudulent Medicare claims. Cruz and a co-conspirator paid illegal kickbacks and bribes to obtain signed physicians’ orders for the braces. Those orders were then used to bill Medicare for equipment that beneficiaries neither requested nor required, using the identities of hundreds of unsuspecting seniors.
Authorities said Cruz also deceived Medicare by concealing the involvement of his co-conspirator, a convicted felon, in the company’s ownership. Officials noted that if Medicare had known about the co-conspirator’s role, the company would not have been eligible to participate in the program. The co-conspirator has been charged but remains at large.
Investigators said Cruz personally benefited from the scheme, receiving several hundred thousand dollars in his personal bank account. Financial records revealed that he made large cash withdrawals on consecutive days at different bank branches throughout South Florida, often keeping the amounts just below the $10,000 threshold that triggers mandatory reporting requirements.
“Healthcare fraud is not a paperwork offense — it is a crime that steals from seniors and undermines confidence in our healthcare system,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones. “This defendant was a licensed nurse who chose greed over duty, exploiting Medicare beneficiaries through a deliberate $11.4 million fraud scheme. The jury’s verdict makes clear that medical professionals who abuse their positions of trust for personal gain will face serious consequences.”
Cruz was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, four counts of health care fraud, one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and make false statements related to health care matters, and three counts of structuring financial transactions to evade reporting requirements. He faces up to 125 years in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 13. A federal district court judge will determine the final sentence based on federal guidelines and statutory factors.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Miami Field Office and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sterling Paulson and Trial Attorney Owen Dunn.
Officials said the conviction is part of a broader initiative by the Justice Department’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force, which has charged more than 5,800 defendants and identified over $30 billion in fraudulent billings since 2007. HHS-OIG and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services continue efforts nationwide to hold providers accountable for health care fraud.