The person at the center of this case
Medicare beneficiaries and United States government
Cold Case · Open - Fugitive
18 years waiting · since 2008
CARLOS BENITEZ
Justice for Medicare beneficiaries and United States government — the trail went cold in 2008, but the truth hasn't.
Start here
Key leads to think about
🎯
suspect
Lead #1Why did Carlos Benitez flee the United States, and which of the four countries (Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua) is most likely to be his current location?
🔍
evidence
Lead #2How were the eleven medical clinics connected, and what documentation exists showing the flow of fraudulent Medicare payments through the sham laundering companies?
👤
person
Lead #3What roles did Luis Benitez and Jose Benitez play in the scheme, and have they also evaded capture?
Carlos Benitez is wanted for his alleged involvement in a multi-million dollar Medicare fraud scheme operating through eleven medical clinics in Miami-Dade, Florida between 2001 and 2004. The scheme involved billing Medicare for unnecessary HIV infusion treatments that were often never administered, while patients received kickbacks for their Medicare information, with proceeds laundered through sham companies. Benitez was indicted on May 22, 2008, and remains a fugitive with possible ties to Costa Rica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Nicaragua.
Case
#1100
United States District Court, Southern District of Florida; Federal Bureau of Investigation
Try asking
Claim this imported case
A one-time $10 claim transfers this imported case workspace to your account. You get 10 uploads for this case, 25 daily AI questions for this case, and public tips with files route to you.
10 uploads25 AI questions/day
This does not start a subscription. When the included limits are reached, the Personal plan unlocks more workspace capacity.
More leads to consider
Beyond the top three above — each detail below could be the thread that pulls this case open.
💡
clue
Lead #4How many Medicare beneficiaries were victimized, and can they be identified to provide testimony about receiving kickbacks and unnecessary treatments?
Have information about any of these leads?
Even the smallest detail could be the key to solving this case.
Official wording
Source Narrative
Conspiracy to Defraud the United States, to Cause the Submission of False Claims, and to Pay Health Care Kickbacks; Conspiracy to Commit Health Care Fraud; Submission of False Claims; Money Laundering Conspiracy; Money Laundering Caution: Carlos Benitez, Luis Benitez and Jose Benitez are wanted for their alleged involvement in a multi-million dollar scheme to defraud Medicare in the Miami-Dade area of Florida. It is alleged that from 2001 through 2004, the Benitez brothers, using straw owners to disguise their own involvement, owned and directed eleven medical clinics that purportedly provided HIV infusion treatment to infected Medicare beneficiaries.
However, the medication that was alleged to have been given to the patients was medically unnecessary and often never given to the patients. The patients received kickbacks for their Medicare information.
The Benitez brothers then allegedly opened sham companies to launder millions of dollars coming into the clinics from Medicare. On May 22, 2008, the Benitez brothers were indicted by a Federal Grand Jury for the United States District Court, Southern District of Florida, for conspiracy to defraud the United States, to cause the submission of false claims, and to pay health care kickbacks; conspiracy to commit health care fraud; submission of false claims; money laundering conspiracy; and money laundering.
That same day, federal warrants were issued for their arrests. Remarks: Carlos Benitez may have traveled to Costa Rica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua.
Timeline of Events
📋
2001-01-01
Fraudulent clinic operations begin
Benitez brothers begin operating medical clinics using straw owners to disguise their involvement
📋
2004-12-31
Fraudulent operations end
Scheme operations conclude after approximately four years of Medicare fraud
🕵️
2008-05-22
Federal indictment and warrant issuance
Carlos Benitez indicted by Federal Grand Jury for conspiracy to defraud the United States, health care fraud, submission of false claims, and money laundering; federal arrest warrant issued
Key Locations
Interactive map showing important locations related to this case
Case Information
Incident:January 1, 2001
Last Updated:October 30, 2026
Leave a comment
Comments
Case Information
Incident:January 1, 2001
Last Updated:October 30, 2026