Shortly after midnight, Trump released a list of pardons and sentence commutations that included full pardons for Todd Farha, William Kale, Thaddeus Bereday, Paul Behrens and Peter Clay, former executives of WellCare Health Care of Tampa, who were convicted in 2013 for Medicaid fraud.
The WellCare executives were charged and convicted in a case of widespread Medicaid overcharging of at least $35 million. The case first went to court in 2008 and was prosecuted over the course of several years.
A synopsis of the WellCare case released by the White House early Wednesday contends mercy was advocated by a wide range of organizations and individuals including the CATO Institute and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. They contended the offenses centered on reporting methodology, not criminal intent.
According to the White House, “There was no evidence that any of the individuals were motivated by greed. And in fact, the sentencing judge called the likelihood that there was any personal financial motivation infinitesimal.”
Salomon Melgen, a Palm Beach County eye doctor, had his 17-year federal sentence commuted for fraud and making false statements. He was convicted in 2017 in a case involving a massive Medicare over-billing totaling as much as $105 million, conducted through numerous clinics in South Florida and elsewhere, according to the Palm Beach Post,
Melgen’s advocates include Republican Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart.
“Numerous patients and friends testify to his generosity in treating all patients, especially those unable to pay or unable to afford healthcare insurance,” the White House case synopsis stated.
They were joined in Trump’s late mercy act by several high-profile individuals with Florida connections: Robert Bowker, who was convicted in the 1990s of illegal wildlife trafficking; Rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black, who were convicted of weapons charges; and Kwame Kilpatrick, the Florida A&M University alumnus and former Detroit Mayor who had his a 28-year sentence for convictions of racketeering and bribery commuted.
Lil Wayne, whose legal name is Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr., previously pled guilty to weapons charges in Miami. His pardon was supported in writing by NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, a graduate of North Fort Myers High School in Southwest Florida, who called Carter “a provider for his family, a friend to many, a man of faith, a natural giver to the less fortunate, a waymaker, [and] a game changer.” The rapper received a full pardon.
Black, legal name Bill Kapri, had a sentence commuted. He was serving 46 months for lying on a Florida background check for a weapons permit. The commutation was supported by Florida religious leaders, including Pastor Darrell Scott and Rabbi Schneur Kaplan. A range of political leaders, rappers and athletes supported the commutation including Bernie Kerik, Gucci Mane, Lil Pump, Lil Yachty, and Lamar Jackson. So did Hunter Pollack, a prominent conservative activist whose sister Meadow was killed in the Parkland shooting.
A full pardon was granted to Steve Bannon, who previously was registered to vote in Sarasota in 2016. The former Trump confidante faced charges stemming from a fundraising scheme supposedly raising private contributions to pay for a border wall. But three other men charged in the matter, including Andrew Badolato, the Sarasota man whose address Bannon once listed on his voter registration, were not granted pardons.
Abel Holtz received a full pardon, which was also supported by Diaz-Balart and business leaders in South Florida. The 86-year-old, who previously owned Washington’s Capital Bank, in 1995 pled guilty to one count of impeding a grand jury investigation of former Miami Beach Mayor Alex Daoud. Holtz previously had no criminal record and boasts a history of supporting charitable causes in Miami Beach, the White House said.
Bob Zangrillo, a South Florida developer charged in the then high-profile Varsity Blues college bribery investigation, also received a full pardon. The White House said Zangrillo’s request for a full pardon was supported by Len Blavatnik, Geoff Palmer, Tom Barrack, Sean Parker, Walid Abu-Zalaf, Medo Alsaloussi, and Kevin Downing. Prosecutors said Zangrillo had paid a $50,000 bribe to the University of Southern California to ensure his daughter’s acceptance. The White House said Zangrillo’s daughter was not among those who had someone else take a college placement exam, and that she is currently earning a 3.9 GPA at the school. Prosecutors, however, argued an imposter took classes on Amber Zangrillo‘s behalf.
After the pardon was announced, a spokesperson for Barrack denied involvement.
This article first appeared at Florida Politics.
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This article appears in Jan 14-20, 2021.