Article - July 28, 2008 - Dominican Today

Dominican suspects in $110M Medicare fraud face extradition to U.S.

SANTO DOMINGO.- The Justice Ministry’s Anti-laundering Unit warned that it plans to recommend the extradition to the United States of eight alleged Dominican partners of the Benítez brothers, charged with defrauding the U.S. Social Security’s Medicare system out of US$110 million.

Assistant prosecutor German Miranda said the suspects could face criminal prosecution in Dominican Republic for money laundering if the evidence continues to implicate them, or even extradition to the U.S., “then the airplane will have to take a few more."

He reiterated there are eight Dominicans in the current list of people allegedly associated with the Cuban brothers, for conspiracy to hide the foreigners’ astronomical investment now being uncovered. He said they’ve already been contacted and located.

He said four more vehicles were seized in Higüey pertaining to the Benítez brothers on Saturday and didn’t rule out new confiscations in addition to the 12 apartments located in a high rise and the motel Cabañas Bayamesa, both located on the seaside avenue Malecon.

Estimates on the cost of the properties and assets in possession of the authorities or pending confiscation run as high as RD$300 billion, attributed to the Cuban brothers Oscar, Carlos, Luis and Jose Benítez.

Operative the seizure the 17 this month began in the tourist zone the Altagracia, where goods evaluated in tens millions dollars and titles properties pertaining to the imputed ones money laundering were seized.

Seized so far are an aquatic park, a car rental, two catamarans, two cabins, 12 luxury apartments, two villas, 22 boats, guns and cash, 40 boats, yachts, animals, and a hotel under construction, reportedly worth more than RD$500 million, in operations conducted in Higüey, Punta Cana and Bavaro (east). The seizures of assets said to belong to the Benítez brothers began July 17 in Altagracia province.

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