Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
A Florida man was sentenced today to 14 years in prison for health care and wire fraud that cost Medicare more than $20 million dollars, and for evading taxes.
According to court documents, Marc Sporn, 59, of Delray Beach, owned and operated several telemarketing and telemedicine companies, including CPL Media Group Inc. Medipak, LLC, Real Time Physicians LLC, 24 HR Virtual MD LLC, Medtech Worldwide Inc., New World Holdings Inc., and Ins Cov LLC. Sporn used these companies to market medically unnecessary genetic tests to Medicare beneficiaries, and to sell prescriptions (i.e., doctors’ orders) for medically unnecessary genetic tests to laboratories in exchange for kickbacks and bribes. Sporn knew these laboratories would use these doctors’ orders to bill Medicare for medically unnecessary goods and services.
Through nominee owners, Sporn also operated and controlled Palm Beach companies Medi Biotech LLC and Walmol Holdings LLC. Sporn used Medi Biotech to market compounded prescription creams to customers with certain health conditions. Pharmacies and laboratories associated with Medi Biotech filled the prescriptions, billed the customers’ insurance companies, and paid Sporn kickbacks. In addition to opening bank accounts for Medi Biotech in nominee names, Sporn opened accounts in the name of Walmol Holdings, a shell corporation, and in 2014 and 2015, avoided paying over $1.6 million in personal income taxes by diverting millions through the company’s accounts. Sporn used these company accounts to purchase luxury items such as high-end watches and diamond jewelry, classic and exotic cars, two yachts, and other items. Sporn also evaded paying over $2.5 million in personal income taxes for other years dating back to 2000. When the IRS attempted to collect back taxes from Sporn, he tried to conceal assets by transferring property to trusts and individuals and by repeatedly opening and closing companies, among other things. In addition to the prison term, Sporn was ordered to pay more than $4 million in restitution to the IRS.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida; Assistant Director Luis M. Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; Special Agent in Charge George Piro of the FBI’s Miami Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Omar Pérez Aybar of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Miami Field Division; and Special Agent in Charge Matthew D. Line of IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Miami Field Office announced the sentence.
The FBI’s Miami Field Office, HHS-OIG, and IRS-CI investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Ligia Markman and Reginald Cuyler of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Aurora Fagan for the Southern District of Florida prosecuted the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, comprised of 15 strike forces operating in 24 federal districts, has charged more than 4,200 defendants who collectively have billed the Medicare program for more than $19 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.