Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2004. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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Miami Herald - October 2, 2004
Lisa Arthur, larthur@herald.com
Medicaid fraud investigators arrested four people connected to a Miami infectious disease treatment center, charging they were running a scam that beat the government out of $4.7 million.
Lawrence and Debbie Boudreaux, co-owners of Specialty Medical Care Centers of South Florida, are accused of billing the government for prescriptions that were never dispensed and of creating medical records that masked that no doctor was on site examining AIDS and Hepatitis C patients.
The investigators, from the Fort Lauderdale and Miami units of the state Attorney General's task force on Medicaid fraud, also arrested Gladys Washington, a registered nurse employed as the center's director of quality assurance. She's accused of facilitating improper Medicaid billings and medication orders.
Robert David, who served as one of the center's doctors, was arrested Friday in Fairfield, Iowa. Records from the center, at 1313 NW 36th St., say he was present during examinations. However, investigators say he was actually in Iowa and other locations around the country.
All four were charged with varying counts of racketeering and grand theft. The Boudreauxes are also charged with money laundering.
"This kind of criminal activity steals from the most vunerable among us who deserve health care," said Attorney General Charlie Crist.
Only Washington's attorney could be reached for comment.
"She's been a nurse for 30 years and is an honest and hardworking woman," said attorney Mark Eiglarsh. Washington is free on $100,000 bond.
The Boudreauxes were being held on $1 million bond each in West Palm Beach. It was not known late Friday whether they had bonded out.
David is being held in the Fairfield County Jail in Iowa on a $1 million bond pending extradition to Florida, according to Crist's office.
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