LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — A Las Vegas woman is among several people charged with taking part in a multi-million-dollar Medicare fraud scheme, according to federal prosecutors.
A grand jury indicted Marizel Yukee, 49, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and offering, paying, soliciting and receiving illegal health care kickbacks, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas said in a news release this week. She is also charged with transactional money laundering.
The indictment accuses Yukee of targeting elderly Medicare patients, many of whom were terminally ill in hospice care, through her four mobile wound clinics.
She allegedly used unnecessary and expensive allografts for treating wounds without trying conservative wound care treatment. The patients had infected wounds, wounds that already healed and wounds that were not responding to the allografts, according to the indictment. She also allegedly falsified patient records to make it appear the allografts were necessary and met Medicare requirements.
Yukee caused about $906 million in false and fraudulent claims to be billed to Medicare and TRICARE, of which about $297 million was paid, the U.S. Attorney’s Office alleged.
Federal agents seized $53.2 million in assets, including a $594,000 Ferrari 296 GTS and a Bulgari necklace purchased for $865,000.
Yukee is one of nine people indicted as part of a national health care fraud takedown. The charges include alleged pill mill clinics, mental health care fraud, and allegations of improper wound care treatment for elderly patients.