Bonita business owner, 85, pleads guilty to $5.8 million Medicare fraud

Federal courthouse in downtown San Diego Photo by Chris Stone Times of San Diego A Bonita man who owns two companies that supply healthcare equipment pleaded guilty Wednesday to federal charges for fraudulently billing Medicare for over million Jacobo Melcer admitted to paying kickbacks to companies in exchange for referrals of Medicare beneficiaries and prescriptions for durable diagnostic equipment Melcer s companies sold such as back wrist and knee braces Those prescriptions were signed by physicians who were not regularly treating or had medically evaluated the beneficiaries according to the U S Attorney s Office Melcer s plea agreement includes admissions to billing Medicare and receiving He also admitted pay over in kickbacks Melcer is due to be sentenced in October following his plea to conspiracy to commit medical care fraud and pay illegal renumerations His guilty plea involves an agreement to pay restitution in the amount of the he fraudulently received