San Diego, CA: A former doctor in the U.S. Navy was sentenced on Friday for his part in a scheme to get fake medical claims with a military insurance program in exchange for benefits that he had not earned. The convicted doctor is identified as Michael Villarroel.
The federal prison term for Michael Villarroel is one year and one day.
Christopher Toups, a former chief petty officer in the U.S. Navy who prosecutors said planned the scheme, got 30 months in jail last October. Kelene Meyer was Toups’ ex-wife, a nurse who lied on medical papers to support claims of fake injuries. She also got a prison term of one year and one day.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said that some of the other suspects were also stationed in Coronado as part of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Expeditionary Support Unit One.
Police say Villarroel and his co-defendants stole about $2 million from the Traumatic Servicemembers Group Life Insurance Program by filing false claims for injuries or disabilities that were not real or were exaggerated.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Villarroel got paid to lie about saying that he found service members had real injuries and turned over medical records that were used in the false claims.