Legal Troubles Continue For Dr. Ralph Miniet
The ongoing saga of Dr. Ralph Miniet added yet another chapter last week.
Miami Police arrested Miniet and two others last week after an anonymous tip and subsequent investigation uncovered alleged Personal Injury Protection (PIP) fraud at The Fast Rehabilitation Center at 815 NW 57th Ave. in Miami, according to multiple South Florida media reports on April 6th.
Police said the arrests were an attempt to arrest individuals involved in staging accidents and conspiring with clinics, physicians, massage therapists and lawyers to steal money from insurance companies with superfluous treatment and false lawsuits.
With Miniet arrested as he was about to board a plane to Kentucky to appear at a federal court arraignment, his legal woes became even more serious. Not only did he miss his arraignment, but Miniet likely violated terms of his house arrest. Miniet was arrested in Lexington in November where he faces charges in the Eastern District of Kentucky of illegally distributing oxycodone. Miniet was given an ankle bracelet and placed under house arrest with the condition that he stay out of trouble. He may have violated those terms, depending whether the alleged instances of fraud in Miami took place after his Kentucky arrest.
Miniet has been on the radar of the South Florida legal community for years. In 2003-4, Miniet provided 569 injections of Rho D to 567 patients that were later deemed “medically unbelievable” by the Department of Health and Human Services. Records show Miniet netted $2.3 million in that case.
Miniet also was linked to a fraud at V&V Rehabilitation Center, where true owners Janio and Jharildan Vico used Dr. Jennifer Adams as a straw owner to avoid oversight by the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA). The Vico brothers were convicted last October of mail fraud, money laundering and two conspiracy charges. The Vicos made about $3 million for staging traffic accidents and then billing insurance companies for fake injuries treated at V&V in Lake Worth, according to court records.
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