Seven Defendants Indicted in Multi-Million Health Care Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme Involving Sober Homes and Alcohol and Drug Addiction Treatment Centers

Seven defendants including owners, doctors, a manager, and a laboratory representative of sober homes and alcohol and drug addiction treatment centers were charged for their participation in a health care fraud and money laundering scheme that involved the filing of fraudulent insurance claim forms and defrauded health care benefit programs.

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Dave Aronberg, State Attorney, Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office, Jeff Atwater, Florida Chief Financial Officer, William D. Snyder, Sheriff Martin County Sheriff's Office, Robert Koons, Special Agent in Charge, Amtrak Office of Inspector General, Rafiq Ahmad, Special Agent in Charge, United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), Isabel Colon, Regional Director, United States Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration (DOL-EBSA), Dennis Russo, Director of Operations, National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), Ric Bradshaw, Sheriff, Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office (PBSO), Bryan Kummerlen, Chief, West Palm Beach Police Department, Jeffrey S. Goldman, Chief, Delray Beach Police Department, Pam Bondi, Florida Attorney General, and Scott Rezendes, Special Agent in Charge, Office of Personnel Management, Office of Inspector General (OPM-OIG), made the announcement.

Kenneth Chatman, a/k/a “Kenny,” 46, of Boynton Beach, Joaquin Mendez, 52, of Miramar, Donald Willems, 40, of Weston, Fransesia Davis, a/k/a “Francine,”a/k/a “Francesa,” 44, of Lake Worth, Michael Bonds, 45, of Delray Beach, and Laura Chatman, 44, of Boynton Beach, are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349, and one count of money laundering conspiracy, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1956(h). Stefan Gatt, 27, of Deerfield Beach, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Kenneth and Laura Chatman are also charged with seven counts of money laundering, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1956(a)(1)(A)(i), three counts of money laundering in excess of $10,000, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1957, and two counts of making a false statement related to a health care matter, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1035(a)(1). Joaquin Mendez, Fransesia Davis, and Michael Bonds are also charged with two counts of money laundering. Donald Willems is also charged with one count of money laundering. Kenneth Chatman and Davis are charged with one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 856(a)(2). Kenneth Chatman is charged with one count of sex trafficking conspiracy, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1594(c). The defendants have each been arraigned on the charges.