A federal jury in the Southern District of Florida has found Brett Blackman, the founder and owner of HealthSplash, guilty for his role in a massive scheme that used a digital platform to churn out fake medical orders and prescriptions.
The operation, which investigators described as “industrial-scale theft,” successfully bilked Medicare and other federal health programs out of more than $1 billion.
Blackman, 42, of Johnson County, Kansas, operated HealthSplash and its subsidiary, Power Mobility Doctor Rx (DMERx). Evidence presented during the trial showed that the DMERx platform was essentially a factory for fraud. The system was used to generate fraudulent doctors’ orders for orthotic braces and other medical equipment that patients didn’t actually need.
READ: GPS Trickery And Phantom Miles: Florida Woman Charged In Massive Michigan Medicaid Fraud
“The Department of Justice crushed one of the most egregious fraud schemes in Florida history,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This illegitimate operation stole more than $1 billion from American taxpayers — including hundreds of thousands of Medicare beneficiaries. This was cold, calculated, industrial-scale theft targeting the sick and elderly, coercing vulnerable people into buying unnecessary medical equipment.”
The scheme relied on a network of foreign call centers and aggressive spam mailers to target senior citizens. Once a senior was convinced to accept a piece of equipment, Blackman’s platform connected marketers and suppliers with telemedicine doctors. These doctors were paid illegal kickbacks to sign off on prescriptions without ever seeing or, in many cases, even speaking to the patients.
To prove the case, an undercover agent posed as a Medicare beneficiary. Evidence showed a doctor using Blackman’s platform signed off on orders for the agent claiming to have performed physical tests that are impossible to conduct over the phone or internet.
Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald noted that the defendant “orchestrated a massive telemarketing scheme” that exploited the very systems designed to help the country’s most vulnerable.
Federal officials revealed that while the conspirators billed over $1 billion, Medicare and other insurers actually paid out more than $450 million. To keep the money flowing and hide from auditors, Blackman and his associates used a web of shell companies and sham contracts.
READ: U.S. Scores Record-Breaking Win In Secret Removal Of Nuclear Fuel From Venezuela
“The scale of greed in this case is staggering,” said Brett Skiles, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Miami office. “Today’s verdict sends a definitive message to unscrupulous healthcare executives and fraudulent networks alike: no matter how complex you make your web of sham contracts and shell companies, law enforcement will unravel it.”
Other federal agencies, including the Department of Defense and the VA, highlighted the damage done to military and veteran healthcare resources. Special Agent in Charge Jason J. Sargenski of the DCIS Southeast Field Office stated that fraud of this magnitude “drains vital resources and jeopardizes the care promised to our service members.”
Blackman was convicted of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks, and conspiracy to defraud the United States. He follows his co-defendant, Gary Cox, who was previously sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Blackman now faces a maximum of 20 years for the fraud charges and additional five-year terms for the kickback and false statement convictions. His sentencing is set for August 26, 2026.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox
