Column: He was convicted in a historic healthcare fraud. Trump is letting him walk free

Michael Hiltzik 2 hrs ago

President Trump's tsunami of pardons and commutations has been such an effective guide to the most loathsome individuals in today's America that it's hard to know where to begin in pulling out case histories.

But here's a standout: It's the case of Philip Esformes, who was convicted last year in what federal prosecutors termed "the largest healthcare fraud scheme ever charged by the Department of Justice."

Esformes' crimes involved $1.3 billion in fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid for services at his network of nursing and assisted living facilities in Florida. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison on 20 felony counts. Noting that the charges on which he was found guilty carried combined maximum sentences of 255 years, prosecutors had asked for 30 years.

This was not one criminal act, but hundreds of choices to break the law, even thousands, for more than a decade.
Federal prosecutors, U.S.A. v Esformes
Esformes, 52, served a bit less than 4 1/2 years. Now, thanks to Trump, he's a free man.

More:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/column-he-was-convicted-in-a-historic-healthcare-fraud-trump-is-letting-him-walk-free/ar-BB1cjF6u?li=BBnbfcL





Click for photo of Esformes in a less comfortable moment:

https://tinyurl.com/ydcoef46

Someone hid the frog march photos, apparently.