A federal jury convicted Sophie Dufort of participating in a scheme that submitted more than $8.6 million in fraudulent Medicare claims through her durable medical equipment company.

Prosecutors described efforts to avoid repayment by having beneficiaries discard or transfer braces, thereby bypassing Medicare reimbursement obligations.

The scheme involved shipping braces to beneficiaries who did not want or need them and had not been examined by a doctor, with instructions to discard or pass along the braces to dodge repayment.

Sentencing is set for January 2027.

The fraud relied on orthotic braces billed with fake doctors’ prescriptions obtained through high-pressure marketing calls and forged or unreviewed prescriptions.

A medical expert testified that certain brace combinations could be dangerous for older Medicare patients, underscoring safety concerns in the scheme.

Dufort was convicted on multiple counts, including conspiracy to commit health care fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and illegal kickbacks, facing substantial prison time.