Ernesto Cruz Graveran is a 54 year old man from Hialeah (Miami), Florida. Police have accused Graveran of Medicare fraud then attempting to escape the FBI by taking a jet ski to Cuba.
Ernesto Cruz Graveran Allegations
Graveran Arrested, Accused Of Medicare Fraud, Jet Ski Escape. “Feds say that with a special fuel cell onboard and compartments stuffed with bottled water and food, the vessel was embarked on the long journey to Cuba before it broke down. One man on the personal watercraft — a type of vessel mistakenly called a “jet ski” based on the name of the model made by Kawasaki — is a known human smuggler. The other man, 54-year-old Ernesto Cruz Graveran, is accused of fraudulently billing Medicare more than $4 million between January and April, according to federal court records. “Based on the forgoing, I believe it is probable that Cruz Graveran was in fact fleeing to Cuba aboard the jet ski to evade prosecution,” Homeland Security Investigations Agent Carlos Suarez wrote in a June 9 probable cause complaint.” [MSN]
FBI: Graveran Jet Ski Outfitted With Fuel Cell For Long Travel. “The government alleged in court that the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers located Graveran aboard a broken-down jet ski in the waters south of Key West, headed in the direction of Cuba, roughly 90 miles away. Graveran was aboard the jet ski along with one other individual, who was known to law enforcement to be an alien smuggler. The jet ski was outfitted with a special fuel cell to allow for long trips, and within the compartments of the jet ski, law enforcement discovered a trove of food and water bottles. U.S. Magistrate Judge Alicia Otazo-Reyes agreed with the government that Graveran should not be released on bond, and the Court ordered that Graveran remained detained at the Federal Detention Center in Miami until his trial.” [DOJ]
Graveran Medicare Fraud Allegations. “Graveran owned Xiko Enterprises, which the feds said, “purported to provide durable medical equipment” to eligible people on Medicare. But from February through April, his company submitted about $4.2 million in fraudulent health care claims to Medicare for equipment Xiko never provided, and patients never requested. The feds used as an example one doctor who purportedly prescribed equipment from Xiko for about 145 Medicare beneficiaries. They said Xiko billed Medicare more than $1 million, but the criminal complaint said none of those beneficiaries were even patients of that doctor, and that doctor never prescribed any of the equipment.” [CBS 12]
One of the first political bloggers in the world, Oliver Willis has operated OliverWillis.com since 2000. Contributor at Media Matters for America and The American Independent. Follow on Twitter at @owillis. Full bio.