Following a seven-day trial, the owner/operator of a Florida assisted living faciilty and durable medical equipment company was convicted of Medicare fraud.  Marianela Smith "paid kickbacks to physicians to obtain phony prescriptions for compounded aerosol medications, paid kickbacks to patients [residents of her assisted living facility] to accept unnecessary treatments, and received kickbacks from pharmacy owners to refer the false prescriptions."  U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Florida, "Owner and Operator of Florida Durable Medical Equipment Company Convicted of Medicae Fraud" (Press Release, Aug. 31, 2007).