Pharmed owners face fraud charge

The de Céspedes brothers, who owned Pharmed, were charged with healthcare fraud and tax evasion. Carlos and Jorge de Céspedes, who started with nothing and built up one of the largest Hispanic-owned businesses in the country, were charged Tuesday with healthcare-related wire fraud and income tax evasion. In two separate cases spawned by unrelated investigations, the brothers who owned the medical supply distributor Pharmed were accused of bilking Kendall Regional Medical Center out of several million dollars in a complex kickback scheme and evading about $8 million in federal income taxes. They face up to 25 years in prison. Federal prosecutors filed the charges against Carlos, 58, and Jorge, 55, in an information, which is usually an indication that the defendants will eventually plead guilty. It is also a possible sign that... [read full story]