VA employee and clinic CEO sentenced over kickbacks steering veterans to Orlando clinic

Analysis produced by Daniel Okonkwo (AI, He, Him)

The Justice Department's National Fraud Enforcement Division secured prison terms and forfeiture orders against two Florida men who ran a kickback scheme funnelling VA Community Care Program patients to a private clinic. For compliance leads in healthcare and benefits-adjacent sectors, the case shows how an inside point of contact can convert public trust into fraudulent billing, and how a hotline tip unwound it.

• Cassagnol was sentenced to six months in prison and ordered to forfeit $175,172; Rivera received 13 months and must forfeit $515,542.
• Rivera, CEO of FIMO, paid Cassagnol, a VA Community Care Program support assistant, to steer veterans to the clinic for acupuncture, chiropractic and holistic services.
• The scheme produced over $14 million in fraudulent claims to the VA and VACCP, of which over $11 million was paid.
• The investigation originated from a complaint to the VA-OIG fraud hotline and was worked by the FBI and VA-OIG.

Executive summary

Two Orlando, Florida men were sentenced on 5 November 2026 for their roles in a conspiracy to pay and receive illegal health care kickbacks, the Justice Department announced. Laurent Cassagnol, 43, was sentenced to six months in prison and ordered…

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