A Cape Cod man admitted to laundering money from a Medicare fraud scheme that billed over $6 million for knee and back braces patients never requested. Leo Anzivino Jr. served as a fake "straw" owner of a medical supply company that submitted fraudulent claims backed by forged doctors' orders. Medicare paid out more than $3 million before the scheme was uncovered.
A Massachusetts man has pleaded guilty to his role in a Medicare fraud scheme that billed the federal program over $6 million for knee and back braces that patients never requested or received prescriptions for. Leo Anzivino Jr., 35, of Falmouth, MA, admitted to serving as a "straw" owner of Advanced Medical Supply Corp. in New Hampshire — lending his name to paperwork while others actually ran the operation. The company submitted false claims backed by fabricated doctors' orders, and Medicare paid out more than $3 million before the fraud was flagged. Anzivino faces up to 10 years in prison at sentencing in January 2027.
Some patients who received the unsolicited braces mailed them back with notes calling it "some type of Medicare scam." Even after learning Medicare planned to cut off the company's billing access, Anzivino wired nearly $1.5 million in just five weeks.
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Why it matters: Medicare fraud costs taxpayers billions annually, and unsolicited medical equipment is one of the most common red flags. CMS urges beneficiaries to review their Medicare Summary Notices, guard their Medicare number, and report suspicious activity to 1-800-MEDICARE or the HHS OIG hotline at 1-800-HHS-TIPS.
