Lake Worth clinic owner accused of stealing $1.5 million

Published: 2010-07-04 20:35:26
Author: Jerome Burdi | Sun Sentinel | March 31, 2010

The owner of a Lake Worth chiropractic center was arrested on charges that he operated the clinic using a doctor's stolen identity and cashed in on $1.5 million in unlawful insurance bills, the state Department of Financial Services said Wednesday.

Daniel Madeus, 32, ran Health and Wellness Rehabilitation Center, Inc. in the 2400 block of 10th Avenue North since 2003. Madeus is charged with criminal use of personal identification information in the use of a physician's name without permission or knowledge by the physician, as well as grand theft.

He was arrested Tuesday morning outside of his West Palm Beach home, officials said.

Madeus used the information of Dr. Joseph Flagello to steal the money from five insurance companies, according to investigators. Flagello told investigators that he knew Madeus and was going to go into business with him. The doctor met with Madeus' insurance consultant and was provided the paperwork to fill out in order to bill insurance companies.

Flagello later decided not to go into business with Madeus. He told investigators he never received any money from Madeus and did not give him permission to do anything on his behalf.

"He just didn't sound legitimate and it seemed that he was not going to do things in an ethical way and a legal way," Flagello said Wednesday.

Flagello, a chiropractor in Boynton Beach, said Madeus promised him a lot of money from all the patients he'd bring in.

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