The US Justice Department is returning $27 million in stolen funds to Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers.

Agency officials say the repayment is the largest-ever restitution made in the Southern District of Georgia.

Martin Bradley III, of Miami, and his father Martin Bradley, Jr., of Savannah, were convicted of racketeering in 2006.

They were found guilty of stockpiling prescription drugs that were paid for by insurance and then reselling them for big profits.

Authorities estimated the fraud at about $100 million.

At a news conference Thursday, US Attorney Edward Tarver said much of the money was stolen from the states of Florida and California.

"Almost $25 million of the restitution will go to Medicaid, Medicaid programs and other publicly-funded health care programs," Tarver said. "We are returning money stolen from the taxpayers."

Prosecutors say the Bradleys and their company, Bio-Med Plus, committed fraud from Florida to California to obtain expensive drugs for a fraction of their real cost.

Drugs were then re-sold.

"The money returned to victims in this case came directly from the liquidation of the fortune amassed by the defendants during their criminal enterprise," Tarver said. "That fortune included planes, automobile collections, yachts, vacation homes and office buildings."

The father and son pair are serving 15 and 25 year prison terms.

Contributors: Associated Press contributed to this report.

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