Manatee County men charged in Medicare fraud cases, federal prosecutors say
A Bradenton man and an Ellenton man are among hundreds of defendants charged in a nationwide health care fraud crackdown that federal prosecutors say involved more than $6.5 billion in false Medicare claims.
Henry Garcia, 59, of Bradenton, was indicted on one count of conspiracy to offer and pay kickbacks and bribes and nine counts of offering and paying kickbacks and bribes. Walter Presha Jr., 51, of Ellenton, was charged in a separate indictment alleging a wound care fraud scheme, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
According to federal prosecutors, Garcia operated multiple medical equipment companies, including New Level 3 and On-Point Medical Alliance, that supplied knee and back braces to Medicare beneficiaries in 2020 and 2021.
Prosecutors allege Garcia worked with one co-conspirator in Florida who provided pre-completed doctors’ orders and another in Canada who operated call centers targeting Medicare beneficiaries. Prosecutors say the call centers contacted seniors across the country and used telemedicine companies to obtain physician signatures for brace orders, even when the equipment was not medically necessary.
Garcia’s companies then submitted claims to Medicare Advantage plans as if the braces were legitimately ordered and medically necessary, prosecutors allege. Garcia paid kickbacks for each brace order that resulted in reimbursement, according to prosecutors.
Ellenton nurse charged with Medicare fraud
Separately, Presha was charged alongside Leigh Tesar, 44, of Sarasota, and Koby Evans, 31, of Apollo Beach. Prosecutors allege Presha and Evans, both nurses, received kickbacks for referring Medicare patients to Tesar, a nurse practitioner who billed Medicare for medically unnecessary wound grafts.
According to the indictment, Medicare was billed more than $118 million over an 18-month period for skin grafts and wound care services that prosecutors allege were medically unnecessary, not eligible for reimbursement, not performed or obtained through kickbacks. Medicare paid about $61 million on those claims, prosecutors said.
Federal prosecutors also allege some grafts were billed but never applied to patients, while others were applied to infected wounds or wounds that would not heal because patients were terminally ill. Investigators have seized about $11.8 million in assets connected to the alleged scheme, according to the indictment.
Manatee County men charged in federal crackdown
The charges are part of the Department of Justice’s 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, which resulted in charges against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, in cases involving more than $6.5 billion in alleged false claims. Investigators also seized more than $182 million in cash, homes, luxury vehicles, jewelry and other assets, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
“Millions of Americans depend on critical services provided by our nation’s federal healthcare programs,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe in a written statement.
“Companies or individuals who exploit these systems through fraud and deception for their personal gain compromise the efficacy of those services and commit theft from taxpayers. We will continue to leverage the resources of our law enforcement partners to ensure that these programs remain sound and effective in the future.”
