Jacobo Melcer, a resident of Bonita and business owner, has pleaded guilty in federal court to charges related to defrauding Medicare and paying illegal kickbacks for patient referrals. According to his plea agreement, Melcer admitted to submitting over $5.88 million in fraudulent claims through two durable medical equipment (DME) companies he owned, which sold orthotics such as back, wrist, and knee braces to Medicare beneficiaries.
Melcer acknowledged that he paid unlawful kickbacks totaling more than $227,000 to various companies for referring Medicare beneficiaries and obtaining prescriptions for DME. He was aware that these prescriptions were signed by physicians without a legitimate doctor-patient relationship or proper medical evaluation.
As part of the plea deal, Melcer agreed to forfeit and pay restitution amounting to $3,479,303—the sum he received from the fraudulent claims. He also admitted to creating and selling two DME companies under a nominee owner’s name to conceal true ownership from Medicare due to the suspension of a co-conspirator as a Medicare provider.
The sentencing is scheduled for October 10, 2025. Assistant U.S. Attorney Blanca Quintero of the Southern District of California is prosecuting the case.
