Miami-Dade clinic operator pleads guilty to Medicare fraud
Recent Cases
Ihosvany Marquez spent his Medicare millions on a fleet of luxury cars, authorities say, including a Lamborghini Murcielago with spaceship-like doors that cost $455,959.
Early Monday, he pleaded guilty in Miami federal court to healthcare fraud charges alleging he submitted $55 million in false Medicare claims for HIV and cancer services at his seven Miami-Dade and Orlando clinics. Between 2005 and 2007, he and his partners raked in $22 million from the taxpayer-funded healthcare program.
Marquez, a Miami-Dade resident who could face more than 20 years in prison, ranks as a big spender among the hundreds of local Medicare-licensed operators accused of ripping off the government program for the elderly and disabled.
Among Marquez's alleged 19 car purchases for himself, his wife, other relatives and his personal trainer: A Lamborghini Gallardo, a Ferrari 612 Scaglietti, two Bentley Continental GTs, two Mercedes Benz CL63s and at least six Mercedes Benz S550s. The total tab: $2.7 million. He also spent $545,652 on jewelry and watches, among them a Rolex Meteorite for $48,000 and a diamond necklace for $108,443, authorities say. And he bought a seven-carat diamond ring for $98,086.
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USCIS Issues Clarifying Guidance on NAFTA TN Status Eligibility for Economists
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that it is clarifying policy guidance (PDF, 71 KB) on the specific work activities its officers should consider when determining whether an individual qualifies for TN nonimmigrant status as an economist.
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) TN nonimmigrant status allows qualified Canadian and Mexican citizens to temporarily enter the U.S. to engage in specific professional activities, including the occupation of economist. The agreement, however, does not define the term economist, resulting in inconsistent decisions on whether certain analysts and financial professionals qualify for TN status as economists.
TN nonimmigrant status is intended to allow a limited number of professionals and specialists to work temporarily in certain specifically identified occupations in the United States. This updated guidance provides USCIS officers with a specific definition of one such category – economists – allowing them to adjudicate applications in a way that complies with the intent of the agreement. This policy update clarifies that professional economists requesting TN status must engage primarily in activities consistent with the profession of an economist. Individuals who work primarily in other occupations related to the field of economics — such as financial analysts, marketing analysts, and market research analysts — are not eligible for classification as a TN economist.