A Florida man at the center of a pair of health care fraud conspiracies must surrender his lakefront home, five luxury cars, two Rolex watches, an array of high-end jewelry and more than $11 million, but at least he’ll have a place to sleep when he starts serving the 15-year sentence imposed Wednesday by a federal judge in Tampa.
U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington sentenced Patsy Truglia, 54, for his role in two consecutive conspiracies to commit health care fraud and for making a false statement in a matter involving a health care benefit program.
In addition to being ordered to pay $18.3 million to the affected government health programs and an insurance company, the court also ordered a $10.1 million money judgment against Truglia and ordered the forfeiture of dozens of assets, all of which “were traceable to the charged criminal conduct,” according to a news release issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
Truglia’s sentencing followed his Oct. 5, 2021, guilty plea, and his former employee and co-conspirator Ruth Fernandez is slated to be sentenced April 7 on one count each of conspiracy to defraud the United States and false statements related to health care matters, the Miami Herald reported.
“Every defendant in this case shared a common trait — greed,” IRS-Criminal Investigations Special Agent in Charge Brian Payne said in a prepared statement. “The desire for money fueled them to commit crimes against our healthcare system and prey upon those in our society who deserve our highest respect, the elderly and military veterans.”
Truglia’s fraud targeted Medicare and CHAMPVA, a health care program through which the Veterans Affairs shared the cost of health care services and supplies, the Herald reported.
According to the newspaper, Truglia must forfeit the following assets because their acquisition was linked to ill-gotten gains from his telemarketing-based schemes:
- $11,146,514.30 from 12 bank accounts
- Truglia’s 2018 Ferrari 488 Spider was involved in a crash before it was seized, so prosecutors seized the $304,578.85 insurance payout instead.
- 2017 Rolls-Royce Wraith
- 2019 Cadillac Escalade
- 2019 Lamborghini Urus
- 2015 Mercedes-Benz CLA
- One stainless steel Rolex
- One men’s stainless Datejust II Rolex, 41mm
- Custom-designed diamond bezel added to a Rolex
- Custom-designed diamond dial with diamond numeral markers
- One 15-carat white gold diamond bracelet dipped in rose gold
- One men’s two-tone custom design Rolex, 18-carat and stainless steel with diamonds
- One 14-carat white gold, diamond tennis bracelet
- A custom diamond bezel for 41mm stainless Rolex, approximately 7.40 carats
- One two-inch rose gold diamond Cuban links necklace
- A custom-designed diamond cross with an approximately 6.25-carat diamond
- One Franko-designed chain
- One women’s 18-carat white gold diamond necklace
- Cuban necklace, 241.6 grams and matching bracelet
- One 12 1/4 size ring
- One 14-carat yellow gold diamond ring
- One Rolex Sky Dweller custom-made with emerald cut and round diamonds rose gold, 18-carat
- A custom-made 18-carat ladies diamond eternity band, baguettes and round 5 ¼
- Diamonds added to the band and side casing of a stainless steel 40 mm Rolex
- Two diamond custom made Italian horns with chain, 14 carats
- One 14-carat white gold and diamond stud cluster earring
- One men’s ring with diamond
- Plain hoop earrings
- A house and associated property at 10035 Bay Leaf Court, which county records indicate Truglia and his wife bought for $1.2 million on July 11, 2018.
“The sentence imposed today holds this defendant accountable for his prominent role in a reprehensible healthcare fraud scheme involving CHAMPVA and Medicare,” said Special Agent in Charge David Spilker, Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Southeast Field Office.
©2022 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/XCUXZC2XYZHCRGNNGKFEX6U3LQ.png)
