JUPITER, Fla. (CBS12) — A detox facility owner from Jupiter was sentenced to four years in federal prison for defrauding the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) of over $4 million to fund his “lavish lifestyle.”
The charges were brought forth on December 18, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
According to court records, 39-year-old Joseph Toro owned and operated Reawakenings Wellness Center (RWC) on North Military Trail in Boca Raton, a detox facility that provided substance abuse treatment to patients, including FEHBP beneficiaries. After RWC closed down in January 2018, Toro continued to submit insurance claims, using personal identifying information (PII) of former RWC patients, for substance abuse treatment that was never provided.
The DOJ said that due to the fraudulent claims, Toro received more than $4 million in federal employee health benefits, allegedly defrauding the FEHBP and Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS).
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Toro then used the fraud proceeds to buy the following:
- Waterfront mansion in Jupiter
- Lamborghini Aventador
- Mercedes G Wagon
- 2 Cadillac Escalades
- Audemars Piguet watch
- Various other properties and luxury goods
The DOJ said in February, Toro entered a guilty plea. In the agreement, Toro will have to return about $4.4 million in assets.
Following the four-year sentence, Toro will be under supervised release for three years.