In Tampa, Florida, more than a dozen residents have been charged following the completion of one of the largest health care fraud investigations ever conducted by the Justice Department.
The 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown was a collaborative effort involving federal and state law enforcement agencies nationwide. This operation targeted schemes that defrauded the healthcare system, affecting both patients and taxpayers.
This initiative led to criminal charges against 324 individuals, including 96 doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and other medical professionals throughout the United States. Among those charged, 19 are Floridians, with many associated with physical rehabilitation centers in Tampa.
The owner of an unnamed Tampa rehabilitation center, Alexis Del Sol Perez, 48, of Spring Hill, would recruit individuals to participate in staged traffic crashes and seek medical attention at his clinic, according to the DOJ.
Carlos Del Sol, 30, Tampa, who worked at the clinic, would then help patients complete insurance paperwork containing false statements and pay them cash in return. Authorities said Del Sol and Del Sol Perez made at least $4.7 million through their scheme.
Greisys Cuellar Hernandez, 41, of Tampa, is also accused of helping stage traffic crashes and recruit individuals to seek treatment at the physical rehabilitation center where she worked, according to the DOJ. Her actions resulted in multiple insurance payouts to the clinic, and detectives said Hernandez was paid $52,000 for her role in the conspiracy.
Similarly, investigators said Ricardo Ramos, 49, of Tampa, would file false police reports related to staged traffic crashes and direct patients to report high levels of pain while working as a chiropractor at a local clinic.
Other Floridians charged in the massive investigation, like Eric Strom Holland, 55, of Fort Myers, were prescribing drugs like oxycodone to patients who didn’t need them, according to officials.
Investigators said Holland was running an “all-virtual pain clinic” and would use lies to recruit doctors to work for him. Holland’s scheme resulted in the improper dispensing of more than 103,000 oxycodone pills, according to detectives.
“Millions of Americans rely on the ethical and lawful practices of healthcare professionals and providers to deliver critical services to patients every day,” said U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida Gregory Kehoe. “When criminals exploit our federal healthcare programs and betray the trust of their beneficiaries, the integrity of our systems are compromised. Our office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ferret out these criminals and bring them to justice.”
The other Floridians charged in the investigation include:
- William Balsamo (65, Spring Hill) was charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay and receive health care kickbacks in connection with a scheme to provide doctors’ orders to pharmacies, durable medical equipment (“DME”) companies, and laboratories in exchange for kickbacks, which led to at least $9 million in losses to Medicare.
- Edward Cannatelli (60, Parkland), Robbyn Cannatelli (68, Parkland), Thomas Farese (82, Fort Lauderdale), and Virginia Lockett (55, Margate) were charged for their roles in a conspiracy to defraud the Medicare program, make false statements relating to health care matters, and offer and pay illegal kickbacks and bribes.
- Patrick Michael Flint (43, Coconut Creek) pleaded guilty to conspiring to solicit and receive kickbacks for referring Medicare beneficiaries for COVID-19 tests and to purchase and sell Medicare beneficiary identification numbers.
- Michelle Forsythe (61, Ocala) was charged with 14 counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft in connection with using the names and insurance policy information of 22 individuals without their knowledge or consent to overbill health insurance companies.
- Leo Joseph Govoni (67, Clearwater) and John Leo Witeck (60, Tampa) were charged by indictment for their roles in a conspiracy to solicit, steal, and misappropriate beneficiary funds from clients of the Center for Special Needs Trust Administration (CSNT).
- Lauren Hornbuckle (36, Seminole) was charged with one count of tampering with a consumer product in connection with her unlawfully acquiring and tampering with morphine at a hospital.
- Paula Pirone (68, Ocala) and Sophie Dufort (56, Gainesville) were charged with various counts of conspiracy, health care fraud, and paying kickbacks in connection with an alleged scheme to fraudulently bill Medicare over $8.6 million for medically unnecessary orthotic braces.
- Ricardo Ramos (49, Tampa) was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering for his role in conducting financial transactions involving proceeds of mail fraud.
- Chad Monroe (47, Tarpon Springs) was charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and mail fraud, mail fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and to offer, pay, solicit, and receive health care kickbacks, violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute, and wire fraud in connection with a scheme to fraudulently bill Medicare, Medicare Advantage Plans, and TRICARE for more than $28 million for orthotic braces and to receive around $15 million in illegal kickbacks and bribes related to genetic testing.
- Anagha Onuoha aka “Frank Emeka,” (61, St. Petersburg) was charged for making a false statement in a passport application and theft of government funds.
The DOJ said the over 300 people who were arrested in the nationwide investigation are estimated to have caused over $14.6 billion in losses due to their participation in various healthcare fraud schemes.
“This record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.”
