Lansing, MI - Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has charged a Florida medical supplier with several crimes, including insurance fraud, for allegedly operating in Michigan without proper licensing.
David Winter, 51, of Boca Raton, owner and operator of GTV Networks (GTV), is accused of illegally dispensing durable medical equipment and billing Michigan auto insurers for equipment that was not actually dispensed.
The case is the result of collaboration between the Michigan Department of Attorney General (MI AG) and the Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) Fraud Investigation Unit.
Winter is charged with:
- five counts of insurance fraud, four-year felonies; and
- five counts of unlawful conduct for operating a pharmacy without a license, four-year felonies.
Under Michigan’s Public Health Code, dispensing certain durable medical equipment falls within the scope of a pharmacy and requires a license.
Last July, DIFS notified MI AG that GTV was operating in Michigan without proper authority. On Aug. 4, 2020, MI AG sent GTV a letter informing Winter of the violation of operating in Michigan without a certificate of authority, seeking documentation of the certificate of authority within 30 days if GTV claimed to be authorized to operate in Michigan. Neither Winter nor a representative from GTV responded.
According to National Insurance Crime Bureau, between June 29, 2018 and April 17, 2020, GTV billed $2,245,806 related to 717 patients in Michigan, Florida, and Ohio.
“Our laws are set up to protect patients and ensure that medical suppliers are operating under ethical standards,” Nessel said. “Those who ignore our laws will be held accountable. I appreciate the coordination between my office and DIFS to secure charges in this case.”
"Insurance fraud, including the type of conduct Mr. Winter is accused of, adds millions of dollars in costs to Michigan’s auto insurance system," DIFS Director Anita Fox said. “The DIFS Fraud Investigation Unit was established to help combat this insurance fraud in all its forms, and we are proud to work with the Attorney General’s office to help bring those who violate our laws to justice."
Winter was arraigned in the 36th District Court in Detroit Wednesday and given a $100,000 personal recognizance bond. A probable cause conference is scheduled for Sept. 7 and a preliminary exam is set for Sept. 14 at 8:45 a.m. before Judge Roberta Archer.
The DIFS Fraud Investigation Unit investigates criminal and fraudulent activity related to the insurance and financial markets and works with the Attorney General and law enforcement to prosecute these crimes. Suspected insurance fraud can be reported to DIFS safely, easily and, in most cases, anonymously by calling 877-999-6442 or online by visiting the department’s website.