Florida man convicted in $3 million Medicare fraud conspiracy

A federal jury in San Francisco convicted Simon Katz of conspiracy to commit health care fraud following a six-day trial before U.S. District Judge James Donato, according to the Department of Justice. Katz, 43, currently of Boca Raton, Florida, was found guilty of conspiring with his wife and two former employees of HealthNow Home Healthcare, a Hayward, California-based home health agency where his wife served as CEO, prosecutors said.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Katz and his wife, Veronica Katz, agreed to defraud Medicare by having unqualified medical professionals provide patient care outside their authorized scope of practice, billing Medicare for services that were never rendered, submitting falsified documents to California Department of Public Health inspectors to preserve the agency’s ability to bill Medicare, and directing former employees to lie to the FBI and other federal law enforcement officials to conceal the fraud.

From October 2018, when HealthNow began submitting fraudulent documents to CDPH inspectors, through November 2020, the agency received more than $3 million in payments based on its claims, according to trial evidence. Katz received $300,000 from HealthNow during the same period.

Prosecutors also said Katz took steps to thwart the federal investigation. During an October 2019 meeting, a former employee told Katz and his wife that FBI agents had questioned her about HealthNow’s billing practices and patient medical assessments. Katz instructed the employee to falsely tell the FBI that a registered nurse had trained and supervised her while she conducted patient assessments, according to trial evidence.

Katz is the fourth defendant convicted in the case. Veronica Katz pleaded guilty to health care fraud in April 2024 and was sentenced in December 2024 to two years in prison, along with restitution of $543,634.34 to Medicare and a $50,000 fine, the Justice Department said.

Former employee Vennesa Herrera pleaded guilty in August 2021 to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and health care fraud. Pharadja Andrews pleaded guilty that month to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Both have status hearings scheduled for Aug. 3, 2026.

U.S. Attorney Craig H. Missakian said the couple “stole millions from the hardworking American taxpayer” and described the prosecution as part of the administration’s broader anti-fraud efforts. FBI Special Agent in Charge Scott Schelble emphasized the bureau’s commitment to protecting federal health care programs, while HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Robb R. Breeden credited years of investigative work and coordination among federal and state agencies.