The Justice Department recently made headlines with the denaturalization of Marieva Briceno, a Venezuelan native formerly residing in the Detroit area, who orchestrated a Medicare fraud scheme amounting to millions. According to a Justice Department press release, Briceno exploited Medicare by billing fraudulent claims for unnecessary medical services through her clinics, pocketing over half a million dollars in the process.
Briceno's downfall began with a scheme running from May 2007 until January 2010, where her fraudulent Medicare claims totaled roughly $5.4 million, with Medicare paying out almost $3 million. In a stark revelation, the Justice Department pointed out that Briceno personally received about $513,200 from these illicit activities. Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate was cited in the press release, emphasizing that “The denaturalization of Marieva Briceno shows that if you steal from the programs that serve our most vulnerable citizens, you will be found out, prosecuted, and suffer the consequences of your actions, up to and including the loss of your U.S. citizenship.”
It was found that during her citizenship application and subsequent interview under oath in 2009, Briceno falsified information by denying any criminal activity. This act of deceit allowed her to illegally obtain U.S. citizenship on March 19, 2010. Her prior untruthfulness came back to haunt her when she was charged four years later with health care fraud.
Ultimately, Briceno pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud in 2012. Having served a 60-month prison sentence, the Justice Department later filed a complaint to revoke her U.S. citizenship, which was granted by U.S. District Judge Darrin Gayles this November. In a statement underlining the gravity of her actions, U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones declared, “American citizenship is a privilege built on honesty and respect for our laws. You cannot defraud Medicare, conceal your crimes, and expect to secure the benefits of citizenship.” His words underscore a commitment by authorities to uphold the rule of law and preserve the sanctity of U.S. citizenship, as noted by the Justice Department.
The legal pursuit was a collaborative effort involving Hans H. Chen of the Justice Department, along with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), ICE's Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Feeley for the Southern District of Florida.
