The Defendant:
Fabian Aurignac, 46, of McAllen, Texas.
The Charges:
Health Care Fraud for submitting false and fraudulent claims to both the Medicare and Medicaid health care programs.
The Case:
Aurignac admitted to defrauding two health care benefit programs, Medicaid and Medicare, by means of false and fraudulent claims in connection with the use of unqualified medical personal and for billing for medical services not rendered. From July 12, 2007, through July 28, 2007, while vacationing in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Aurignac billed approximately $900,000 to Medicare and Medicaid for cardiac services he never performed.
The Conviction:
Aurignac pleaded guilty on May 8, 2009, to health care fraud.
The Sentence:
United States District Judge Randy Crane sentenced Aurignac to 57 months incarceration to be followed by a three-year-term of supervised release. He also fined him $20,000. Aurignac, who has already forfeited $1.1 million, was also ordered by the court to forfeit an additional $7,187 seized from a bank account and a 1995 GMC recreational vehicle.
