Policy & oversight
Florida DME Owner Convicted in 8.6 Million Dollar Medicare Brace Fraud Scheme
A federal jury found Sophie Dufort of Gainesville guilty of billing Medicare for orthotic braces that patients never requested, using fake and forged prescriptions bought from high-pressure telemarketers.
By the Goodsurance editorial teamOctober 28, 2026
A federal jury in the Middle District of Florida convicted Sophie Dufort, 57, of Gainesville, for her role in a Medicare fraud scheme that prosecutors say caused the submission of more than 8.6 million dollars in fraudulent claims. Dufort owned a durable medical equipment company and managed several other companies involved in the scheme.
According to the Department of Justice, Dufort and co-conspirator Paula Pirone, 70, of Ocala, purchased prescriptions from telemarketing companies that used high-pressure calls to collect Medicare beneficiaries' personal information. Some prescriptions were signed by practitioners who had not evaluated the patients; others were forged using doctors' credentials without their knowledge. The companies then shipped orthotic braces to beneficiaries who had not requested them and billed Medicare for the devices.
A Florida medical equipment owner was convicted of billing Medicare 8.6 million dollars for braces sent to patients who never asked for them, using prescriptions bought from telemarketers.
A medical expert testified that certain combinations of braces could be very dangerous for older patients, adding a patient-safety dimension beyond the financial harm to the program.
Dufort was convicted of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, two counts of health care fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and to offer and pay illegal kickbacks, and offering and paying illegal kickbacks. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 2027. The conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
The case illustrates a recurring enforcement pattern in which telemarketing networks target older Medicare patients to generate prescriptions for equipment they do not want or need, then bill the program for those items.
In plain words
A woman from Gainesville, Florida was found guilty of cheating Medicare. She ran a company that sold back and knee braces. She and a partner bought fake doctor orders from phone salespeople. The salespeople called Medicare patients and collected their information. Braces were then mailed to those patients even though they never asked for them. Medicare was billed more than 8.6 million dollars for braces the patients did not need. A doctor told the jury that some combinations of those braces could be harmful to older patients. The woman was found guilty on several charges. She will be sentenced in January 2027 and could face up to 20 years in prison.
Understand the basics first
Source: DOJ
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