Three men sentenced for submitting $6.9M fraudulent claims for braces
By HME News Staff
Updated 10:52 AM CDT, Tue May 26, 2026
WASHINGTON – Three Florida men have been sentenced to prison for their participation in a scheme to defraud Medicare and launder more than $2.2 million in illicit health care fraud proceeds, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
- Marco Scamarone, 34, of Tamarac, Florida, was sentenced to 70 months in prison.
- Jose Mendez, 34, of Coral Springs, Florida, was sentenced to 78 months in prison.
- Renee Vazquez, 33, of Tamarac, Florida, was sentenced to 60 months in prison.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the defendants owned and operated two fraudulent durable medical equipment (DME) companies: Braces and Orthotics LLC, located in the Eastern District of Virginia, and Stone Oak Durable Medical Equipment LLC, located in the Southern District of Florida. Between January 2022 and February 2023, the fraudulent DME companies submitted approximately $6.9 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare for orthotic braces that were medically unnecessary and ineligible for Medicare reimbursement. The conspiracy involved illegal kickbacks and bribes paid to an offshore marketing company exchange for the referral of beneficiaries and fraudulent doctors’ orders. The three men conspired to launder the proceeds of their fraud through a series of shell companies under their control or the control of their associates — ultimately laundering more than $2.2 million in illicit funds for their own benefit and the benefit of their co-conspirators.
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