A federal jury in South Florida convicted a laboratory executive and marketer in a COVID-era healthcare fraud scheme that billed Medicare more than $15 million for blood tests that patients did not request or need, the Justice Department announced Wednesday.
Joseph Rodriguez, 58, of Coral Springs, was convicted Tuesday of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and six counts of healthcare fraud following a federal trial in the Southern District of Florida.
Patients sought COVID tests, prosecutors say
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Rodriguez organized drive-through COVID-19 testing events at nine residential country clubs in the West Palm Beach area over roughly four months.
Nearly 2,000 patients attended the events seeking nasal swab and antibody testing. Prosecutors said patients were also subjected to additional blood tests that they had not requested and that treating physicians had not ordered.
The additional tests included hormone panels and tests for heavy metals such as arsenic, mercury and cadmium. In some cases, patients received tens or hundreds of unnecessary tests, according to the government’s account of the trial evidence.
More than $15 million billed, over $500,000 paid
Prosecutors said Rodriguez directed staff to draw extra blood and caused a doctor’s name to appear on Medicare claims even though the doctor had not ordered the tests.
The scheme generated more than $15 million in Medicare claims, of which Medicare paid over $500,000, according to the Justice Department. The amount billed should not be confused with the amount paid.
Trial evidence included complaints from patients, doctors and country-club managers questioning the additional testing and charges, prosecutors said.
Sentencing remains ahead
The jury convicted Rodriguez on all seven counts. Each count carries a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, but those maximums are not a prediction of the sentence.
The federal court is expected to schedule sentencing for January 2027. The judge will determine the sentence after considering the applicable guidelines and other factors.
Sources: U.S. Department of Justice, October 7, 2026; independent reporting by Coral Springs Talk.
