Medical Fraud Gets Woman 7 Years in Prison

McALLEN, Texas (AP) — A woman who helped run a now-defunct South Texas medical equipment company has been sentenced to nearly seven years in prison and must repay $5.5 million.
A federal judge in McAllen sentenced Carla Cantu Herrera of Mission, who pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud Medicare and Texas Medicaid. Investigators say the case involved an $11 million billing scheme involving scooters, power wheelchairs and other medical supplies.

She formerly was married to Marcelo Herrera and they operated RGV DME of McAllen. Marcelo Herrera in February pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud Medicare and Texas Medicaid, plus he admitted to aggravated ID theft over reimbursements since 2004.

Marcelo Herrera in July was sentenced to 12 years in prison and ordered to repay $6.1 million. His ex-wife was sentenced last week.