The wife of a Florida sheriff's captain has been nabbed by federal authorities and charged in connection with a $25 million-health care fraud scheme.
The suspect, the mother of two teenage boys, was identified by the office of the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York as Erin Foley of Loxahatchee, Florida.
She and her twin brother, Ted Albin of Stuart, Florida, allegedly swindled millions in Medicare government money that should have gone to the health care of retirees and disabled people.
Over the course of four years until 2021, the 46-year-old siblings allegedly used their health care billing company, Grapevine Professional Services Inc., to bill the government for 'durable medical equipment' such as wheelchairs, canes, knee braces and walking aides that were fraudulently ordered.
Erin Foley is accused using her and her brother's health care company to bill the government for fraudulently ordered wheelchairs and canes. She's pictured with her Florida sheriff's captain husband
Erin and her twin brother Ted Albin were arrested by federal authorities Tuesday and charged in connection to the scheme
According to a four-count indictment unsealed Tuesday, Foley and Albin billed fraudulently $25million worth of equipment, causing diverse government agencies and even private insurers to pay out $9 million.
According to the indictment, Grapevine obtained prescriptions and orders for the equipment through other companies it controlled, including Liberty Bell Medical Supply LLC, Skye Medical Equipment Inc., A&E Medical Inc. and Priority Medical Supply LLC.
Foley is the wife of well-known Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office Captain Randy Foley, 49, a 23-year veteran of the sheriff's office and head of the Behavioral Services Division
At least one of the companies is located inside Grapevine Professional Services in a suburban West Palm Beach office building.
The US Department of Justice also accuses the siblings of acting as brokers for the equipment and soliciting and receiving cash kickbacks.
Foley and Albin are facing a maximum 50 years behind bars on the four counts, including health care fraud, wire fraud and violation of anti-kickback laws.
'Medicare is a valuable taxpayer-funded program designed to provide affordable health care to people over 65 or with disabilities, not to line the pockets of those who would enrich themselves through fraud,' U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said after the arrests.
'Here, the defendants are charged with illegally profiting from the purchase and sale of millions of dollars worth of bogus orders for medical equipment … Such illicit conduct can affect the availability of medical services and drive up the costs of health care.'
Foley is the wife of well-known Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office Captain Randy Foley, 49, a 23-year veteran of the sheriff's office and head of the Behavioral Services Division.
According to federal court records, Capt. Foley appeared on behalf of his wife in federal court in West Palm Beach Tuesday morning to answer questions from a magistrate during a bond hearing.
Her bond was set at $500,000.
Capt. Foley's division mainly enforces red-flag laws that allow the seizures of guns from individuals who could, for reasons such as problematic mental health, use them in mass shootings.
Foley's division has been a showcase program for Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, a Democrat who is running for a sixth term in a job that includes local protection of former President Donald Trump and his Palm Beach property Mar-a-Lago.
In March 2019, Bradshaw appeared before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee in Washington, D.C., to brag about how Foley implemented a unique collaboration with mental health professionals to identify and monitor those red-flagged as gun owners who could create violent situations.
And just on November 2, Randy Foley was honored by local FBI agents with a certificate of appreciation for his work.
At dawn on Tuesday, however, the same FBI agents raided Foley's home in Loxahatchee, a farm-dotted far suburb of West Palm Beach, and reportedly seized some of his wife's work papers, a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation told DailyMail.com.
Through a spokeswoman, the sheriff's office responded to questions on whether its Internal Affairs unit would investigate Capt. Foley's knowledge, or lack of knowledge, of what his wife was doing.
According to Florida state records obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com, Capt. Foley is in business with his wife, whom he married in Las Vegas in 2003.
They have been running a consulting company called Liberty Belle Consulting Inc.
He is listed as the registered agent and president. Erin Foley is listed as an officer.
The company is not mentioned in the indictment.
Foley, a mother-of-two, faces a maximum 50 years behind bars on the four counts, including health care fraud, wire fraud and violation of anti-kickback laws
Foley and Albin are accused of billing $25million worth of equipment, causing government agencies and private insurers to pay out $9 million
A Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman said she couldn't comment on 'another agency's investigation.'
However, PBSO Spokeswoman Teri Barbera said: 'Capt. Foley is a highly respected member of PBSO and is not implicated in these yet-to-be-proven allegations.'
Public records and social media postings show the Foleys were not living a millionaires' lifestyle but seemed financially comfortable.
Located on nearly two acres of land, their ranch home in Palm Beach's horse country is just shy of 2,000 square feet and valued at around $500,000, according to property tax records.
The Foleys own a newer model large pickup truck and a luxury trailer, according to Facebook postings and photos of their house.
A PBSO source who asked that his name not be released said Capt. Foley and his wife were known to take exotic vacations in far-flung places.
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