A federal grand jury in the Middle District of Florida has indicted a U.K. citizen living in Plant City for allegedly running a fraudulent telehealth scheme that billed Medicare millions for unnecessary genetic testing.
Marek Rex Vernon Harrison, 61, is charged with conspiracy to submit fraudulent claims and causing the submission of false Medicare enrollment documents. Prosecutors say Harrison was the actual owner and manager of CTD Network LLC, a company that purported to provide telemedicine services.
According to the indictment returned Wednesday, the scheme relied on medical providers who were hired to authorize prescriptions for genetic tests, including cancer risk assessments. Authorities allege these providers approved orders for Medicare beneficiaries who had been referred by marketing companies. The doctors reportedly had no prior relationship with the patients, did not treat them, and did not use the test results for any actual medical care.
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At Harrison’s direction, CTD allegedly billed Medicare for these consultations, which investigators say were medically unnecessary or never provided as described. In total, the company submitted over $2.7 million in fraudulent claims, with Medicare paying out more than $600,000.
The indictment further alleges that Harrison took steps to hide his involvement in the company from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Federal regulations require companies to disclose anyone with a 5% or greater ownership interest and reveal if those individuals have faced adverse legal actions.
Prosecutors state that Harrison directed CTD to submit enrollment forms that listed other people as owners or managers. This was allegedly done to conceal Harrison’s 2019 conviction for bank fraud, which would have been flagged during the enrollment process.
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The case was announced by officials from the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, the FBI, and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). The investigation is being handled by the FBI and HHS-OIG.
Acting Assistant Chief Catherine Wagner and Trial Attorney Miriam Glaser Dauermann of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
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