◆ Philip Esformes, the former owner of a network of assisted living facilities and skilled nursing facilities in Florida, was sentenced to 20 years in prison Sept. 12 after being found guilty in the largest health fraud scheme ever charged by the Department of Justice (DOJ). From January 1998 to July 2016, Esformes bribed physicians to admit patients to his facilities, where they often didn’t get proper services or received medically unnecessary services. “Esformes concealed the poor conditions and scheme from authorities by bribing an employee of a Florida state regulator for advance notice of surprise inspections scheduled to take place at his facilities,” DOJ said. He personally benefited from the fraud to the tune of $37 million, and used the money for “extravagant purchases, including luxury automobiles and a $360,000 watch.” Visit http://bit.ly/2lSFTs4.