Twelve people were sentenced to prison time for participating in a $53 million scheme to defraud Blue Cross Blue Shield, the Justice Department said Aug. 1.
The final defendant was sentenced to 12 months in prison on July 31, according to the Justice Department. All 12 defendants pleaded guilty in the case, and they received sentences ranging from four years in prison to four months.
The defendants owned several clinics in South Florida, according to the release. The defendants paid recruiters to provide personal information for BCBS members, then submitted fraudulent bills to the insurer. The defendants then transferred bills paid to personal bank accounts and laundered the funds through several businesses and individuals.