$14 MILLION BILLED TO VA: ORLANDO CLINIC CEO AND VA COMMUNITY CARE EMPLOYEE SENTENCED IN KICKBACK SCHEME
By VA Headlines - Published Nov 5, 2026 - Source dated November 5, 2026 (U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs)
Two Florida men were sentenced November 5, 2026, for a conspiracy to pay and receive illegal health care kickbacks that steered VA Community Care Program patients to a private Orlando clinic, the Justice Department announced. More than $14 million in claims were submitted to VA, of which more than $11 million was paid, DOJ says.
The sentences
- Heriberto Rivera, 43, of Orlando, Florida, CEO of Family Integrative Medicine of Orlando, LLC (FIMO), was sentenced to 13 months in prison and ordered to forfeit $515,542, which DOJ says represented proceeds he obtained from the offense.
- Laurent Cassagnol, 43, of Orlando, Florida, an Advanced Medical Support Assistant for the VA Community Care Program (VACCP), was sentenced to 6 months in prison and ordered to forfeit $175,172.
Combined forfeiture ordered: $690,714.
How the scheme worked, per DOJ
According to court documents cited by DOJ, Rivera paid illegal kickbacks and bribes to Cassagnol in exchange for Cassagnol using his VA position to steer veterans and their families to FIMO for acupuncture, chiropractic adjustments, and other holistic medical services.
DOJ says Cassagnol was a vital point of contact between veterans and the VA health care system, and that his abuse of that role took advantage of veterans and their families who rely on VA for medical care. "The actions of both defendants put profit before the needs of VA patients," the release states.
As a result of the illegal kickbacks, over $14 million in fraudulent claims were submitted to VA and VACCP, of which over $11 million was paid, DOJ says.
Who brought the case
The investigation began with a complaint to the VA Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG) fraud hotline. The FBI and VA-OIG investigated. Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of DOJ's National Fraud Enforcement Division; Special Agent in Charge Rodney E. Crawford of the FBI Tampa Field Office; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Josh Lollar of the VA-OIG Southeast Field Office announced the sentences. Trial Attorneys Jody King and Angela Benoit of the Fraud Division's Health Care Fraud Section are prosecuting. DOJ press release number: 26-1327.
Related: Former VA employee sentenced for $41,666 PPP loan fraud. SpineFrontier kickbacks: surgeon and distributor sentenced. VA fraud cases tracker. More: all VA Headlines reports. How we report: Methodology & Corrections.
CEO and VA Employee Sentenced for Paying and Receiving Illegal Health Care Kickbacks and Bribes - November 5, 2026 (Press Release 26-1327)
Read the DOJ release
Facts on this page come only from the DOJ release. Sentences and forfeiture amounts are what the court ordered, per DOJ. VA Headlines reports only what official records say. Spot an error? See our corrections policy.