WASHINGTON – Miami physician Ronald Harris, MD, and Miami resident Mariela Rodriguez have each pleaded guilty to defrauding the Medicare program of $37 million using faulty HIV infusion clinics, according to Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Friedrich of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney R. Alexander Acosta of the Southern District of Florida.

According to information in plea documents, Harris admitted that between August 2002 and March 2004 he served as the medical director of Physicians Med-Care and Physicians Health, two Miami HIV infusion clinics that were owned and controlled by Carlos and Luis Benitez, and that were operated for the purpose of committing Medicare fraud. Before August 2002, Harris had no prior experience with infusion therapy for HIV patients.

During his employment with Physicians Med-Care and Physicians Health, Harris said he approved approximately $26.2 million worth of fraudulent medical bills, signed documents containing false information about treatments supposedly provided to HIV patients and approved medically unnecessary treatments. Medicare paid about $17.5 million of fraudulent claims, the federal Department of Justice estimated.

In Rodriguez's plea, she admitted that from June 2003 to November 2003 she administered an HIV infusion clinic named Saint Jude Rehab Center, a Miami HIV infusion clinic that also was owned and controlled by Carlos and Luis Benitez, and was operated for the purpose of committing Medicare fraud.

In Rodriguez's stint at Saint Jude, approximately $11.3 million of fraudulent bills were submitted to the Medicare program for HIV infusion services that were never provided or were medically unnecessary. Medicare paid approximately $8.2 million of the fraudulent bills.

Sentencing for both Rodriguez and Harris has been scheduled for Nov. 4, 2008.

In a related case, Carlos and Luis Benitez, and their brother, Jose Benitez, were indicted on June 11, 2008, for their role in a $110 million HIV infusion fraud and money-laundering scheme. The indictment said Carlos, Luis and Jose Benitez were behind a large HIV infusion fraud operation throughout south Florida involving at least 11 clinics. Also according the indictment, Carlos and Luis Benitez were the true owners of Physicians Med-Care, Physicians Health and Saint Jude. All three Benitez brothers remain fugitives.

The cases were brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, through which prosecutors have indicted 82 cases involving 142 defendants since operations began in March 2007. Collectively, these defendants committed more than $492 million in Medicare fraud.