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Healthcare fraud

Ex-NY Nurse May Dodge Jail After Making $1M Selling Fake Vaccine Cards, Prescriptions Ex-NY Nurse May Dodge Jail After Making $1M Selling Fake Vaccine Cards, Prescriptions
Ex-NY Nurse May Dodge Jail After Making $1M Selling Fake Vaccine Cards, Prescriptions A former pediatric nurse from Long Island could avoid jail time after confessing that she raked in over $1 million selling forged COVID-19 vaccine cards and opioid prescriptions. Julie DeVuono, age 51, of Amityville, pleaded guilty to filing forged vaccination record cards, laundering the criminal proceeds from selling the cards, and filing false prescriptions for opioids in Suffolk County Court in September 2023. According to prosecutors, DeVuono charged her customers $220 or $350, depending on the year, between June 2021 and September 2022 for entering their false vaccine information into…
$1.6M Scheme: CT Psychologist Admits Submitting Fraudulent Medicaid Claims $1.6M Scheme: CT Psychologist Admits Submitting Fraudulent Medicaid Claims
$1.6M Scheme: CT Psychologist Admits Submitting Fraudulent Medicaid Claims A 75-year-old psychologist from Connecticut has admitted to submitting false Medicaid claims as part of a more than $1.6 million scheme, federal officials announced.  Hartford County resident Michael Pines of Avon, a Glastonbury-based psychologist, pleaded guilty to healthcare fraud charges on Wednesday, Jan. 31, the US Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut announced.  According to federal officials, Pines, who owned and operated Michael B. Pines, Ph.D., P.C., provided psychotherapy to young children, adolescents, and adults and had been individually enrolled…
$695K Scheme: Former CT Counselor Convicted Of Submitting False Medicaid Claims $695K Scheme: Former CT Counselor Convicted Of Submitting False Medicaid Claims
$695K Scheme: Former CT Counselor Convicted Of Submitting False Medicaid Claims A former New London County counselor has admitted to submitting thousands of dollars of fraudulent claims to Medicaid for therapy services he never provided, officials said.  Former East Lyme resident Jeffrey Slocum, age 55, pleaded guilty to healthcare fraud and kickback charges on Wednesday, Aug. 16, the US Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut announced.  According to federal officials, between 2017 and 2022, Slocum, who now lives in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, was a licensed professional counselor with a New London office located at 300 State St.  …
CT Doctor Admits To Getting Kickbacks In Exchange For Ordering Unnecessary Procedures CT Doctor Admits To Getting Kickbacks In Exchange For Ordering Unnecessary Procedures
CT Doctor Admits To Getting Kickbacks In Exchange For Ordering Unnecessary Procedures A Connecticut eye doctor was paid handsomely from a five-year fraudulent medical billing scheme that netted millions of dollars. Hartford County resident Donald Salzberg, age 67, of Avon, pleaded guilty Thursday, July 14, to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to receive kickbacks in federal court in Boston. Prosecutors said that between 2014 and 2019 Salzberg, who owned and operated an ophthalmology practice in West Hartford, conspired with a principal for a medical diagnostics company to order hundreds of unnecessary brain scans. Salzburg and h…
CT Native Convicted Of Killing His Wife, Three Children, Family Dog CT Native Convicted Of Killing His Wife, Three Children, Family Dog
CT Native Convicted Of Killing His Wife, Three Children, Family Dog A physical therapist from Connecticut has been convicted of killing his wife, three children, and the family dog by a jury. Anthony Todt, a New London County native who grew up in Colchester, was found guilty on Thursday, April 14 in Kissimmee, Florida, located just minutes from Disney World.  Todt, age 46, reportedly commuted between Florida to Connecticut to his Colchester business, Family Physical Therapy. The former physical therapist was arrested in 2020 for drugging and stabbing to death his wife Megan, age 42, along with their children, Alek, age 13, Tyler, age 11, and Zoe…
CFO From Fairfield County Sentenced For $33M Healthcare Scheme CFO From Fairfield County Sentenced For $33M Healthcare Scheme
CFO From Fairfield County Sentenced For $33M Healthcare Scheme A Fairfield County woman will spend more than five years in prison and surrender millions of dollars after being sentenced for a “widespread” $33 million healthcare fraud scheme, federal officials announced. Trumbull resident Erin Verespy, age 50, was sentenced to 66 months in prison for her role in a $33 million scheme to misappropriate client healthcare funds and defraud multiple lenders through her role as the Chief Financial Officer of Employee Benefit Solutions (EBS), an insurance firm in Wilton. Earlier story - Four From Fairfield County Charged In $17 Million Insurance Firm Scheme I…
Fairfield County Doctor Charged For Seven-Year Fraud Scheme, Feds Say Fairfield County Doctor Charged For Seven-Year Fraud Scheme, Feds Say
Fairfield County Doctor Charged For Seven-Year Fraud Scheme, Feds Say An eye doctor from Westchester who had practices throughout the Hudson Valley and Fairfield County who was previously charged with healthcare fraud has been sentenced for attempting to exploit the COVID-19 pandemic through loan fraud. Westchester resident Ameet Goyal, age 58, of Rye, who operated The Eye Associates Group, with practices in Rye, Mount Kisco, Wappingers Falls in Dutchess County, and Greenwich, has been sentenced to 96 months in prison for orchestrating a seven-year fraud scheme and for obtaining government loans intended for small businesses during the pandemic. In addition t…
COVID-19: Area Doctor Accused Of Illegally Receiving Government Loans COVID-19: Area Doctor Accused Of Illegally Receiving Government Loans
Covid-19: Area Doctor Accused Of Illegally Receiving Government Loans An eye doctor from Westchester who had practices throughout the Hudson Valley and Fairfield County who was previously charged with healthcare fraud is facing new charges for allegedly attempting to exploit the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. Ameet Goyal, 57, of Rye, who operates The Eye Associates Group, with practices in Rye, Mount Kisco, Wappingers Falls, and Greenwich, was arrested and charged by federal officials for allegedly fraudulently billing patients last year. Earlier story - Area Doctor Billed Patients $8M For Surgeries He Didn't Do, Feds Say According to U.S. Attorne…
Fairfield County Substance Abuse Treatment Provider Pays $295K For Improper Billing Fairfield County Substance Abuse Treatment Provider Pays $295K For Improper Billing
Fairfield County Substance Abuse Treatment Provider Pays $295K For Improper Billing A substance abuse treatment center with locations in Fairfield County has agreed to pay nearly $300,000 to settle allegations of improper billing over the course of several months. Connecticut Counseling Centers (CCC), which operates methadone clinics in Danbury and throughout Connecticut, will pay the state and federal government $295,211 in a settlement involving overpaying for drug testing, U.S. Attorney John Durham announced. According to Durham, CCC is a healthcare organization that provides outpatient substance abuse and mental health services in Connecticut, with clinics located in F…
COVID-19: Justice Department Issues Alert For These Scams COVID-19: Justice Department Issues Alert For These Scams
Covid-19: Justice Department Issues Alert For These Scams The United States Justice Department of Justice is warning the public to be wary of opportunistic fraudsters who have been fear-mongering in the wake of fears of coronavirus. Attorney General William Barr issued an alert warning of fraud schemes related to the COVID-19 outbreak, as he begins to investigate and prosecute scammers. According to Barr, he has directed United States attorneys to prioritize and investigate the prosecution of coronavirus-related fraud schemes. Each has been directed to appoint a Coronavirus Fraud Coordinator to serve as the legal counsel for the federal judicial d…
CT Doctor, Practice Pay $425K to Settle Improper Billing Allegations CT Doctor, Practice Pay $425K to Settle Improper Billing Allegations
CT Doctor, Practice Pay $425K to Settle Improper Billing Allegations A Connecticut doctor and his practice have reached a civil settlement with federal and state governments to pay nearly $500,000 to resolve allegations of improperly billing Medicare and state Medicaid programs. Mark Thimineur, who owns Comprehensive Pain and Headache Treatment Centers - an interventional pain management practice with offices in Derby and Meriden - reached a settlement of $425,000, which resolves allegations of improper billing. U.S. Attorney John Durham said that the charges against Thimineur and his practice arose out of improper billing of drug tests. It is alleged that…
CT Oral Surgeon Pays $252K To Settle False Claims Allegations CT Oral Surgeon Pays $252K To Settle False Claims Allegations
CT Oral Surgeon Pays $252K To Settle False Claims Allegations A retired dentist in Connecticut has agreed to pay more than $250,000 for fraudulently billing Medicaid for surgery services that were never provided. Robert Sorrentino and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgical Associates (OMSA) have reached a civil settlement with the federal and state government to pay $252,913.26 to resolve allegations that they violated False Claims Acts. Sorrentino was the former owner of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgical Associates in New Haven before he sold his practice and retired in November 2014. The allegations against Sorrentino alleged that his practice fraudulently …
Norwalk Doctor Sentenced For Health Care Fraud, Drug Distribution Norwalk Doctor Sentenced For Health Care Fraud, Drug Distribution
Norwalk Doctor Sentenced For Health Care Fraud, Drug Distribution A local doctor is going to spend several years behind bars for distributing opioids to patients with no need for drugs in Fairfield County. Milford resident Bharat Patel, a doctor working out of Family Health Urgent Care in Norwalk, has been sentenced to 54 months in prison after pleading guilty to narcotics distribution and healthcare offenses over the summer.  He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release following his stay in prison. Beginning in 2011, through July last year, Patel “saw numerous patients who had no legitimate medical purpose to see Patel, and only came to h…
CT Psychologist Pays $126,760 For Medicaid Misconduct CT Psychologist Pays $126,760 For Medicaid Misconduct
CT Psychologist Pays $126,760 For Medicaid Misconduct A psychologist in Connecticut has paid more than $125,000 to resolve state and federal claims that she violated the False Claims Acts by billing Medicaid for services she failed to provide. Dr. Arlene Werner allegedly billed Medicaid for psychotherapy services that were not provided and for family psychotherapy sessions for multiple family members when she should have instead billed just one member for individual psychotherapy services. According to John Durham, the United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Werner is licensed as a psychologist in the State of Connecticut and t…
Nurse From Seymour Sentenced In $390K Scam Nurse From Seymour Sentenced In $390K Scam
Nurse From Seymour Sentenced In $390K Scam A former registered nurse who stole nearly $400,000 from by making false claims to Medicaid while caring for severely disabled patients in Westchester County is going to spend a year behind bars and has been ordered to pay restitution for his crimes. Attorney General Barbara Underwood announced on Monday that Seymour, Connecticut resident Collins Anyanwu-Mueller has been sentenced to one year in jail, and must pay $367,954 in restitution after pleading guilty to stealing from Medicaid over a five-year span by making false claims regarding care to patients he never provided. Anyanwu-Mueller …
Norwalk Medical Practice Will Pay $650K To Settle False Claims Norwalk Medical Practice Will Pay $650K To Settle False Claims
Norwalk Medical Practice Will Pay $650K To Settle False Claims Physicians from a Norwalk medical practice specializing in the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases have agreed to pay more than $650,000 in fines for allegedly attempting to make false Medicare and Medicaid claims. John Durham, the United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that World Health Clinicians, its CEO Scott Gretz and a former practicing physician, Gary Blick, have entered into a civil settlement agreement with federal and state governments to pay $650,830 to resolve allegations that they violated federal and state false claims acts. According to Durha…
Area Doctors Practicing In NYC Charged With Taking Fentanyl Rx Kickbacks Area Doctors Practicing In NYC Charged With Taking Fentanyl Rx Kickbacks
Area Doctors Practicing In NYC Charged With Taking Fentanyl Rx Kickbacks Two doctors from Westchester practicing in Manhattan were among five charged with participating in a bribery and kickback scheme that prosecutors said sought to increase the drug company’s sales while taking advantage of patients, Geoffrey S. Berman, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York announced Friday. Gordon Freedman of Mount Kisco and Jeffrey Goldstein of New Rochelle were among the five charged with participating in a scheme to receive bribes and kickbacks in the form of fees for sham educational programs from a pharmaceutical company in exchange for prescribing milli…