Federal prosecutors charge individuals in multi-million dollar Medicare wound-care fraud schemes

Federal prosecutors have brought indictments against individuals involved in large-scale alleged Medicare fraud schemes centered on wound-care products and bioengineered skin substitutes.

In one case, Leigh Tesar, a Sarasota nurse practitioner, is accused of using her professional status and a network of registered nurses to identify vulnerable patients for expensive wound treatments. Prosecutors allege that Tesar Primecare submitted over $118 million in claims for costly allografts over an eighteen-month period, resulting in more than $61 million in Medicare payments. The scheme allegedly utilized provider enrollment and reassigned billing benefits to facilitate the operation.

In a separate matter, Michael McMillan, a Las Vegas resident, is accused of orchestrating a nationwide distribution arrangement involving approximately $268 million in challenged wound-care claims. The indictment alleges that McMillan used sales representatives to recruit medical providers through agreements that used rebates and discounts to mask illegal kickbacks. Prosecutors contend these arrangements were designed to influence medical decisions and divide government reimbursements among various companies and participants.

Both cases remain subject to proof in federal court, and the accused individuals are presumed innocent.