Harlingen Couple Sentenced for Billing Medicare $14 Million in Wheelchair Parts and Repairs for 37 Patients

Published Oct. 29, 2026. Case statuses are current as of that date.

For people who rely on a power wheelchair, repairs are a necessity, and Medicare pays for them. A Harlingen, Texas, couple admitted they used that coverage to bill for parts and repairs that never happened, in one case claiming to have replaced expensive parts on a single person's wheelchair hundreds of times.

Jeremiah Yzaguirre, 47, and his wife, Maria Luisa Yzaguirre, 47, both of Harlingen, have been sentenced to 110 months and 80 months in federal prison, respectively, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas announced on Oct. 23, 2026 [1]. Both pleaded guilty on April 22, 2025.

Status: Both have been convicted by guilty plea and sentenced [1].

How the scheme worked

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office [1]:

1. The business. The Yzaguirres operated Southwest Medical Homepatient in Harlingen, which was enrolled in Medicare as a provider of durable medical equipment (DME) and services. Among other things, it claimed to provide parts and repairs for power wheelchairs.
2. A few patients, a lot of bills. Between 2019 and 2023, the couple caused Medicare to be billed about $14 million for power wheelchairs, parts and repairs for only 37 Medicare beneficiaries.
3. Hundreds of parts per chair. In multiple instances, they billed for hundreds of parts and repairs for a single beneficiary's wheelchair.
4. Work never done. As part of their pleas, the couple admitted they received millions of dollars for parts and repairs that were never performed or provided.
5. One beneficiary, $736,072. Both acknowledged billing Medicare about $736,072 for parts and repairs for one beneficiary, falsely claiming to have replaced expensive parts hundreds of times.
6. Where the money went. Investigators found the couple used fraud proceeds to buy cryptocurrency, a vehicle, electronics, miscellaneous collectibles and purses.

The people sentenced and their status

Jeremiah Yzaguirre, 47, of Harlingen [1]

• Pleaded guilty April 22, 2025.
• Sentenced to 110 months in prison and three years of supervised release.

Maria Luisa Yzaguirre, 47, of Harlingen [1]

• Pleaded guilty April 22, 2025.
• Sentenced to 80 months in prison and three years of supervised release.

Both were ordered to pay $9,248,976 in restitution to Medicare and a $25,000 fine. U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. imposed the sentences. Both will remain in custody until they are transferred to a Bureau of Prisons facility, according to the release [1]. The release does not specify the charges to which they pleaded guilty.

The FBI, the HHS Office of Inspector General, Texas Health and Human Services OIG, the Texas Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Texas Department of Insurance investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Swartz and Ana Cano prosecuted [1].

Why this matters to patients

DME fraud doesn't just cost taxpayers. When a supplier bills for repairs it never makes, the patient's wheelchair may stay broken while the records say it was fixed. Inflated billing can also make it harder for a beneficiary to get legitimate replacements later, because Medicare's records show the work was already done. Beneficiaries' Medicare numbers are the raw material for these schemes, which is why reviewing statements matters.

Red flags

These are general warning signs of this kind of scheme; not every one is alleged in this case.

• Your Medicare Summary Notice lists repairs or parts you never received.
• A supplier keeps "servicing" your equipment without visiting or without your request.
• Someone asks for your Medicare number to "check" your eligibility for a free or upgraded wheelchair, scooter or brace.
• Equipment arrives that you or your doctor didn't order.
• A supplier offers cash or gifts for using its services.

What to do if you're targeted

1. Read every Medicare Summary Notice or check your claims at medicare.gov. Look for DME charges you don't recognize.
2. Protect your Medicare number like a credit card. Give it only to providers you know.
3. Keep a simple log of equipment deliveries and repair visits.
4. Report suspected fraud to 1-800-MEDICARE or the HHS Office of Inspector General at 1-800-HHS-TIPS or oig.hhs.gov. Your local Senior Medicare Patrol can also help.
5. Report other scams to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Case status (as of Oct. 29, 2026)

Defendant	Court	Status	Source
Jeremiah Yzaguirre, 47, Harlingen, Texas	U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas (Brownsville)	Pleaded guilty April 22, 2025; sentenced to 110 months, 3 years' supervised release, $9,248,976 restitution to Medicare and $25,000 fine	[1]
Maria Luisa Yzaguirre, 47, Harlingen, Texas	Same	Pleaded guilty April 22, 2025; sentenced to 80 months, 3 years' supervised release, $9,248,976 restitution to Medicare and $25,000 fine	[1]

Statuses can change.

Sources

1. U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Texas, "Harlingen couple sentenced in multimillion-dollar Medicare fraud scheme," Oct. 23, 2026. https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/pr/harlingen-couple-sentenced-multimillion-dollar-medicare-fraud-scheme

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