A federal jury has convicted a Florida laboratory executive and marketer of health care fraud in a scheme that billed Medicare more than $15 million for blood tests that patients did not request and doctors did not order, the Justice Department announced Wednesday.
Joseph Rodriguez, 58, of Coral Springs, was convicted of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and six substantive counts of health care fraud after a trial in the Southern District of Florida. Sentencing is expected to be scheduled for January 2027.
What prosecutors proved at trial
According to the Justice Department’s account of the evidence, Rodriguez organized drive-through COVID-19 testing events at nine residential country clubs in the West Palm Beach area. Elderly residents signed up for nasal-swab and antibody tests, but staff also drew additional blood for other testing.
Those extra tests ranged from hormone panels to heavy-metal testing for arsenic, mercury and cadmium. Prosecutors said the patients did not want or need the tests and that no treating doctor ordered them as required. Claims were then submitted to Medicare as though the tests were medically necessary and physician-ordered.
The scheme involved almost 2,000 patients over roughly four months. Medicare was billed more than $15 million and paid more than $500,000, according to evidence presented at trial. The government said Rodriguez directed staff to collect extra blood and caused a physician’s name to be placed on claims.
Conviction is not yet a sentence
The jury’s verdict establishes criminal guilt on the charged counts, but the sentence has not been determined. Each count carries a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison. A federal judge will set any sentence after considering federal guidelines and other factors.
The FBI and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Health Care Fraud Section prosecuted it.
What patients can learn from the case
Patients can review Medicare Summary Notices for services they do not recognize and report suspicious charges through Medicare’s official fraud resources. Unexpected testing, unfamiliar provider names or services that were never received can be warning signs. A billing entry is not proof of wrongdoing by itself, but it is a reason to ask questions promptly.
For more public-health accountability coverage, visit Health News. Court and enforcement developments are collected in Crime & Courts.
Featured image: Testalize.me via Unsplash.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Justice — Jury conviction announcement (October 7, 2026)
- HHS Office of Inspector General — Report health care fraud (accessed October 7, 2026)
- Medicare — Reporting fraud and abuse (accessed October 7, 2026)