Marketer sentenced to 11 years in federal prison for role in massive Tricare fraud scheme

A Georgia man has been sentenced to more than 11 years in federal prison and ordered to pay $11.8 million in restitution to Tricare for his role in a massive health care fraud scheme.

Erik Santos, 51, of Braselton, Ga., was sentenced May 27 in federal district court in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He had pleaded guilty on Jan. 27 to one count of conspiring to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, according to court documents. In addition to the $11.8 million in restitution to Tricare, Santos must forfeit $7.6 million in personal gains from the scheme, which charged Tricare thousands of dollars for “compounded medications” that were little more than common pain creams or scar creams, according to Justice Department officials.