A Delray Beach businessman was sentenced to 14 years in prison for marketing unnecessary tests and products to Medicare beneficiaries and defrauding the government-run health insurance system out of more than $20 million.
Marc Sporn, 59, ran the scam through numerous Palm Beach County companies that he founded and used his company accounts to purchase luxury items such as high-end watches and diamond jewelry, classic and exotic cars, and two yachts, according to a news release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.
Following a plea agreement, forfeiture of ill-gotten gains and pledges to help prosecutors obtain convictions against former business associates, Sporn pleaded guilty on April 1 to conspiracy to commit fraud and to federal tax evasion. He was sentenced on Thursday in federal court in Miami, the release said.
[ RELATED: Accused health insurance fraudster doesn’t want to lose his Lamborghini ]
Sporn used the companies to market medically unnecessary genetic tests to patients on Medicare and sell doctors orders for the tests to laboratories in exchange for kickbacks and bribes, the release said, adding that he knew the laboratories would use the doctors’ orders to bill Medicare for the unnecessary goods and services.
In addition to prison time, Sporn was ordered to pay more than $4 million in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service for personal income taxes he evaded dating back to 2000. When the IRS tried to collect back taxes…
