William Clero & Cesar Armando Perez Amador Arrested for $8 Million Scheme to Defraud Prescription Drug Coupon Programs

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Miami, Florida — William Clero, 44 and Cesar Armando Perez Amador, 51, residents of Miami, Florida, were arrested today for their alleged participation in a scheme to defraud prescription drug cost savings (coupon) programs offered by pharmaceutical manufacturers to reduce the cost of prescription drugs for consumers.

On February 25, 2021, Clero and Perez were indicted by a Grand Jury in the Southern District of Florida and charged with participating in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering offenses, and six counts of money laundering.

According to court documents, Clero and Perez were the beneficial owners of 15 retail pharmacies located in Miami, Florida, and concealed their ownership and control of the pharmacies by enlisting “nominee” owners. It is alleged that from approximately December 2014 through February 2021, Clero and Perez submitted and caused the submission of fraudulent claims for reimbursement to prescription drug coupon programs that falsely and fraudulently represented that prescription drugs had been prescribed by physicians and were being dispensed to patients by the pharmacies.  As a result of the scheme, prescription drug coupon programs paid more than $8 million to the pharmacies. Further, Clero and Perez conspired with each other and with others to launder the proceeds of the scheme through shell companies and to engage in monetary transactions to spend the fraud proceeds on themselves and others, according to the allegations.

Both defendants had their initial appearances today in federal magistrate court. Clero’s arraignment and a pretrial detention hearing are set for April 7, 2021.  Perez’s arraignment is set for April 12, 2021.  These hearings will take place in federal magistrate court in Miami.

Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Anthony Salisbury, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, (HSI) Miami Field Office, made the announcement.

This case is being investigated by HSI Miami. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aimee Jimenez of the Southern District of Florida.

An indictment and criminal complaint are charging instruments containing allegations.  A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

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