The federal indictment against a Sarasota nurse practitioner goes beyond allegations of a $118 million Medicare fraud scheme, detailing what prosecutors describe as “lavish lifestyles” funded by the proceeds.
Leigh Tesar, 44, of Sarasota, along with Walter Presha Jr., 51, of Ellenton, and Koby Evans, 31, of Apollo Beach, were 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.
They were charged by indictment for their alleged roles in the scheme, which authorities said resulted in Medicare paying about $61 million in false claims.
Sarasota nurse case part of broader Florida fraud crackdown
Ibrahim Khaldoon Hilmi, 58, of Miami, fled the country shortly after numerous negative reviews were posted online alleging that one of his companies, Sunshine Senior Solutions LLC, a medical equipment store in Delray Beach, was committing health care fraud, according to court papers.
Court papers also show that Hilmi’s companies billed for wound care, which the government says is increasingly, a source of fraudulent billing. Medicare claims for allografts, which are usually made from placental tissue to heal wounds, like special band-aids, have ballooned from $200 million in 2019 to $14.4 billion in 2025, according to The New York Times.
The pricey patches were front and center in a number of cases in this dragnet, including the one involving the trio led by Sarasota nurse practitioner Tesar, according to court papers.
The government says she and Presha and Evans coordinated their activities so that the Medicare beneficiaries’ names would be provided to Tesar, who would then bill wound care expenses to Medicare on behalf of the beneficiaries. Medicare was fraudulently billed over 18 months for $118 million in wound care that way, according to court papers.
Indictment details Sarasota nurse’s alleged lavish lifestyle
Court papers allude to Tesar scouting out Medicare beneficiaries who she could make claims on as needing the pricey patches.
“On or about September 16, 2024, Leigh Tesar sent text messages to (her accused co-conspirator) stating, ‘I can just go from room to room looking for wounds,’ immediately followed by ‘that might be illegal, but oh well,’” according to court papers.
“Tesar and others used the proceeds of the scheme to defraud to fund their lavish lifestyles, including spending over $215,000 for Tampa Bay Buccaneers tickets and a luxury box suite at Raymond James Stadium, and over $400,000 for fine art,” the indictment says.
Wade Tatangelo is the executive editor of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and Florida dining and entertainment editor for the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and X. He can be reached by email at wade.tatangelo@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota nurse’s alleged ‘lavish lifestyle’ detailed by feds
Reporting by Wade Tatangelo, Anne Geggis and Michaela Galligan, Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Wade Tatangelo, Anne Geggis and Michaela Galligan, Sarasota Herald-Tribune | USA TODAY Network
