A Sarasota nurse practitioner—along with an Ellenton and Apollo Beach medical professional—is accused of participating in a wound care fraud scheme that allegedly billed Medicare more than $118 million, according to charges announced as part of the Justice Department’s nationwide 2026 health care fraud takedown.
Leigh Tesar, 44, of Sarasota, Walter Presha Jr., 51, of Ellenton, and Koby Evans, 31, of Apollo Beach were charged by indictment for their alleged roles in the scheme, which authorities said resulted in Medicare paying about $61 million in false claims.
The U.S. Justice Department announced the 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, a federal, state and international investigation resulting in charges against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals.
The Takedown, announced on June 23, found that these individuals allegedly participated in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes resulting in $6.5 billion in false claims and significant patient harm, including death.
The investigation has resulted in cases in 56 federal districts and 45 U.S. states and territories, with 50 state Medicaid Fraud Control Units participating. International cooperation was also a factor, with some defendants being apprehended and returned to the U.S. from Estonia, the Philippines and Kyrenia, Cyprus.
“This year’s National Health Care Fraud Takedown represents the greatest whole-of-government effort to combat health care fraud in our Nation’s history,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a press release.
Sarasota-area trio charged in wound care fraud scheme
All three medical professionals are charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay and receive health care kickbacks. Tesar, a nurse practitioner, is charged with health care fraud and payment of health care kickbacks. Presha and Evans, both nurses, are charged with receipt of health care kickbacks.
The indictment alleges that the three defendants targeted Medicare patients so Tesar could unnecessarily bill Medicare for expensive wound allografts.
Presha and Evans would then be paid kickbacks for referring the patients to Tesar.
Some instances saw Tesar causing Medicare to be billed for expensive allografts that were never applied to patients, applied to infected wounds and applied to wounds that would never heal as the patient was terminally ill.
During the trio’s 18-month operation, Medicare was billed more than $118 million for skin grafts and wound care services that were medically unnecessary, ineligible for reimbursement, not performed and procured through kickbacks.
Medicare paid approximately $61 million based on these false and fraudulent claims. The government seized approximately $11.8 million in assets in this matter.
The case is being prosecuted by trial attorneys Chris Wenger of the National Rapid Response Strike Force and Owen Dunn of the Florida Strike Force.
“Prosecuting criminals who steal from American patients is necessary – but stopping them before a single dollar leaves the building is smarter,” Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said in a press release.
“CMS is done playing catch-up. We’re deploying advanced data analytics to expose fraud networks, freeze suspicious payments, and shut down bad actors before they can do damage to the programs that millions of Americans depend on.”
Michaela Galligan is an intern covering a variety of topics for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. She can be reached at MGalligan@usatodayco.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota nurse charged in $118 million Medicare fraud scheme
Reporting by Michaela Galligan, Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Michaela Galligan, Sarasota Herald-Tribune | USA TODAY Network
