The U.S. Department of Justice has charged 78 people for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes valued at $2.5 billion.
The DOJ said in a Wednesday news release the defendants allegedly defrauded programs used to take care of elderly and disabled people. They used some of the money to buy luxury items, including exotic automobiles, jewelry and yachts.
“These enforcement actions, including against one of the largest health care fraud schemes ever prosecuted by the Justice Department, represent our intensified efforts to combat fraud and prosecute the individuals who profit from it,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in the news release.