A former Navy doctor who participated in a scheme to submit false medical claims to the military insurance program in exchange for unearned benefits was sentenced Friday to a year and a day in federal prison.
Prosecutors say Coronado resident Michael Villarroel, 51, and his co-defendants cheated the Trauma Service Groups Life Insurance Program out of about $2 million by submitting fraudulent claims for false or exaggerated injuries or disabilities.
Villarroel received kickbacks for falsely stating that he determined military service members had legitimate injuries and provided medical records for use in fabricated claims, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
When Villarroel pleaded guilty last year, his lawyer said Villarroel “takes full responsibility for his actions.”
Christopher Tubbs, the former top officer who prosecutors say masterminded the scheme, was sentenced earlier this year to 30 months in prison. Topps’ ex-wife, Kaylene Meyer, was a nurse who falsified medical records to support fake injury claims. She was sentenced to one year and a day in prison.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office also said several of the defendants were stationed locally as part of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Rapid Support Unit in Coronado.