Clinic owner gets 11 years in $28M Medicare scheme

A former physical therapy clinic owner was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison for his role in a $28.3 million Medicare scheme that involved outpatient rehab facilities in Venice and Fort Myers.

U.S. District Judge Susan Bucklew of the Middle District of Florida handed the sentenced down Dec. 2 to Luis Duluc, 54, of Tampa. Duluc, also ordered to pay $14.42 million in restitution, pleaded guilty Feb. 3 to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and making a false statement relating to health care matters. A co-defendant in the case, disbarred attorney Margarita Grishkoff, 60, of Charlotte, N.C., was previously sentenced to 70 months in prison for her role.

Authorities contend Grishkoff and Duluc used various physical therapy clinics and other business entities throughout Florida and other states to submit fraudulent reimbursement claims to Medicare from 2005 through 2009. Those claims, according to prosecutors, totaled $28.3 million, and Medicare paid approximately $14.4 million on those requests.