Men who met in prison headed back after workers comp scheme
TBO | Tampa Tribune – 3/30/2016 – TAMPA — The former president of the local letter carriers union, Lenin Perez was in federal prison for receiving kickbacks in health care when he met Lois Luis, a former medical clinic owner serving time for a staged car crash insurance scam.
Both men got out of prison and joined forces in another scheme to swindle taxpayers through kickbacks in the federal workers compensation program, according to court documents.
Luis, also known as Ireno Luis Delgado, pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiracy and paying an illegal remuneration, charges which also carry up to five years behind bars each.
Perez pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiracy and receiving illegal remuneration, charges which each carry up to five years in federal prison.
Perez, past president of Local 599 of the National Association of Letter Carriers in Tampa, pleaded guilty in 2005 to accepting kickbacks for referring injured letter carriers to a select group of doctors, a massage therapist and the director of a medical care facility. Perez coached the workers how to submit workers’ compensation claims to increase the likelihood of reimbursement. He was sentenced to 21 months behind bars.
Before going to prison in that scheme, Perez started Federal Workers Compensation Consultants, offering advocate services to injured federal employees.