Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) today announced the arrest of five individuals on various felony charges including racketeering, Medicaid fraud, money laundering, aggravated white collar crime, and operating a scheme to defraud.
HC Healthcare, Inc. including owner Robert A. Krasnow, 36, of Gainesville; Dr. Yong Am Park, 66, of Lake City; Robert T. Krasnow, 58, of Gainesville, the father of Robert A. Krasnow; hospital administrator Christina L. Ortega, 42, of Lake City; and nurse Ashley Lane Butler, 37, of Live Oak, have been arrested.
According to the criminal charges, officers, employees and affiliates of HC Healthcare, Inc. engaged in a scheme of admitting Medicaid recipients to the hospital without medical necessity. Investigators determined that in some instances, medical records were altered to justify those hospital admissions. False claims for reimbursement were also submitted to the Florida Medicaid program for services performed outside the scope of Park’s limited physician license.
The investigation also established that over $660,000 in state grant funds dedicated to hospital improvements were received by the corporation, but little if any of these funds were used to make such improvements. Instead, the bulk of these funds were used to support the activities of the criminal enterprise and diverted to the personal use of hospital owner Robert A. Krasnow. Money gained through these fraudulent activities were laundered through various bank accounts controlled by Robert A. Krasnow. Investigators determined that more than $130,000 in Medicaid funds was fraudulently disbursed.
Robert A. Krasnow is charged with one count of racketeering, one count of scheme to defraud, one count of money laundering, one count of aggravated white collar crime, and one count of grand theft, all first-degree felonies, and 10 counts of Medicaid fraud, a third-degree felony. If convicted on all charges, he faces a maximum sentence of 200 years and $100,000 in fines.
Park is charged with one count of racketeering, a first-degree felony, and 10 counts of Medicaid provider fraud, a third-degree felony; if convicted on all charges, he could face a maximum of 80 years in prison and $60,000 in fines.
Robert T. Krasnow is charged with one count of racketeering, a first-degree felony, and nine counts of Medicaid provider fraud, a third-degree felony; if convicted on all charges, he faces a maximum of 75 years in prison and $55,000 in fines.
Ortega is charged with one count of racketeering, a first-degree felony, and three counts of Medicaid provider fraud, a third-degree felony; if convicted of all charges, she will face up to 45 years in prison and $25,000 in fines. Butler is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit racketeering, a first-degree felony, and if convicted could face up to 30 years in prison and $10,000 in fines.
