$2.5M cash found in PVC pipes in alleged Miami Medicare scam

Federal agents found $2.5 million in cash hidden in PVC pipes in the bedroom closet of a Miami man charged with bilking the government in a massive $49 million Medicare fraud scam.

The cash was found sealed with plastic wrap inside pipes buried under the closet floor at Jesus Garces’ home during a raid Wednesday, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Federal authorities have spent the last decade cracking down on the multi-billion Medicare fraud scams cheating taxpayers, but they rarely find cash stockpiles like this. Agents also found another $75,000 in a safe and another $280,000 in a safe at another home linked to Garces, along with seven Rolex watches.