OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A man has been sentenced to nearly four years in prison and ordered to pay more than $809,000 in restitution for Medicare fraud he conducted in 16 states.
Nereus Sutko, 38, Omaha, visited assisted-living facilities, retirement centers and low-income housing complexes in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, and 12 other states, federal prosecutors said, where he held pizza and ice cream parties and convinced elderly residents to sign up for Medicare-funded products that he never delivered.
Sutko collected more than $1.8 million from Medicare, Nebraska Medicaid and Iowa Medicaid, much of it based on fraudulent claims, prosecutors said. Sutko pleaded guilty in December to health care fraud.
U.S. District Judge John Gerrard on Tuesday also ordered Sutko to forfeit a Corvette and speedboat, among other property he paid for with the ill-gotten money.
Sutko is scheduled to report to prison on Sept. 9 to begin serving the sentence.