A federal jury found Joseph Rodriguez, 50, of Coral Springs guilty on Tuesday, Oct. 6, of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and six counts of health care fraud, the U.S. Department of Justice said Wednesday.
Prosecutors said Rodriguez owned and operated Phoenix Health Rising, LLC, and ran drive-through COVID-19 testing events at residential country clubs in the West Palm Beach area. Residents signed up for nasal swab and antibody tests, but many also received tens or even hundreds of blood tests they did not want or need, according to the DOJ. Those tests, which included hormone and metal screenings, were billed to Medicare as if a treating physician had ordered them.
The DOJ said the scheme ran at nine country clubs over four months in 2020, reached nearly 2,000 patients and led to $15.7 million in billing to Medicare. Medicare paid more than $500,000.
Rodriguez’s attorney, David J. Joffe, said his client was disappointed by the verdict. Joffe said the billing was handled by a New York company and that Rodriguez had no role in it. He argued the actual loss was $500,000 and asked that it be weighed at sentencing.
Rodriguez faces a maximum of 10 years in federal prison on each count. His sentencing is set for January 2027.
