Miami Man Arrested for Obstructing a Health Care Fraud Investigation

Jeffrey H. Sloman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, John V. Gillies, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Christopher Dennis, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, announced the unsealing of an Indictment and the arrest today of Luis A. Baez, 38, of Miami. The Indictment unsealed today, but filed on November 12, 2009, charged Baez with obstruction of a health care fraud investigation in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1518.

According to the Indictment, statements made in court, and documents filed in court, in January 2007, Baez told an FBI Special Agent who was conducting an investigation involving Med-Pro of Miami, Inc., that he had no knowledge of an entity known as the L. Baez Corporation or activities associated with the L. Baez Corporation. Baez knew this information was false. The Med-Pro investigation ultimately resulted in several indictments and convictions of various individuals for health care fraud and money laundering schemes involving millions of dollars in fraudulent reimbursement claims submitted to Medicare. According to documents filed in one of the Med-Pro cases, L. Baez corporation was used in connection with laundering proceeds of health care fraud.

At his initial appearance today, it was reported that Baez had been working at two local hospitals up until the time of his arrest. Baez’s bond was set at $50,000. As a condition of his bond, Baez is prohibited from working in the health care industry. Baez faces up to five years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000 if convicted.

Mr. Sloman commended the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Hunter.

An Indictment is only an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.