Federal authorities want a $38.7 million forfeiture judgment against Philip Esformes at his sentencing hearing Thursday. He was recently convicted of running a record $1.3 B fraud scheme through his network of nursing homes.
The request was filed late last week by the federal government in the U.S. Southern District of Florida. The forfeiture stems from money Esformes was paid through vast money laundering offenses, court documents stated, Law360 reported.
Of the $38.7 million, Esformers received about $33 million from his skilled nursing facilities and SNF operating/management companies; about $5.7 million was from his assisted living families and their respective operating/management companies, authorities said.
In April, a 12-person jury found the Miami businessman guilty on 20 out of 26 charges, which included paying and receiving kickbacks, money laundering and conspiracy to commit federal program bribery. Prosecutors blasted Esformes following the trial, calling him a “vampire” fueled by “unbounded greed.”
Esformes moved to be acquitted on the forfeiture verdicts in May, but the motion was later denied. Sentencing hearings in the case are set for Thursday. Esformes could be facing a life sentence, previous reports stated.
