March 20, 2009
Media Contact: Jenn Meale
Phone: (850) 245-0150
Medicaid Fraud Fugitive Captured in the Philippines
~ Man was on Attorney General’s “Most Wanted” website ~
TALLAHASSEE, FL – Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum today announced that a fugitive featured on the Attorney General’s “Most Wanted” website was arrested in the Philippines. Jerome Howard Feldman was located after a police detective in Dewitt, New York recognized Feldman on the fugitive website and tracked him down in the Philippines.
Between April 1998 and September 1999, Feldman and a group of seven co-conspirators engaged in a criminal enterprise which defrauded Florida’s Medicaid Program of more than $1.3 million dollars. Feldman and his group operated clinics in Daytona Beach and Melbourne which primarily dealt with HIV/AIDS patients. Feldman would bill the Medicaid program for large quantities of AIDS infusion therapy drugs, but never provided the drugs to several patients and even billed for patients who were no longer being seen by the facility. Feldman would consistently max out Medicaid caps on prescription drug coverage for most of his patients.
The group devised a scheme to create several fictitious corporations and bank accounts in which they could conceal the proceeds derived from their criminal activities. Feldman and his co-conspirators also devised a kickback scheme with a South Florida pharmacy to bill the Florida Medicaid program for the diverted drugs. The diverted drugs were then resold to the prescription wholesale market by his co-conspirators.
In April 2001, the Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution charged Feldman with various counts of criminal activity including criminal racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, Medicaid fraud, grand theft, money laundering, and dealing in stolen property. Feldman fled before trial and was not located until he was recognized in the Philippines. Feldman currently faces federal wire fraud charges in New York. He will be extradited to Florida when the federal case has concluded.
The Most Wanted website features fugitives being pursued by the Florida Attorney General’s law enforcement officers. More information is available at the website, located at: http://www.myfloridalegal.com/mostwanted.