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NY Rep. Suozzi Defends Vote To Censure Fellow Democrat Over Trump Speech Protest NY Rep. Suozzi Defends Vote To Censure Fellow Democrat Over Trump Speech Protest
NY Rep. Suozzi Defends Vote To Censure Fellow Democrat Over Trump Speech Protest New York Congressman Tom Suozzi is defending his support for censuring a fellow House Democrat who protested President Donald Trump’s speech to Congress. Suozzi–who represents Long Island’s 3rd District–was among ten House Democrats who voted with every Republican member to censure Texas Rep. Al Green on Thursday, March 6, for disrupting Trump’s address to Congress two days earlier. In a post on X following the vote, Suozzi chided Green for distracting from issues like protecting Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare. “Instead of addressing rising costs, fixing immigration, and Ukraine, …

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by Michael Mashburn
News
$4.4M Medicaid Fraud Scheme: Five Plead Guilty, NY AG Says $4.4M Medicaid Fraud Scheme: Five Plead Guilty, NY AG Says
$4.4M Medicaid Fraud Scheme: Five Plead Guilty, NY AG Says Five Hudson Valley and Capital Region residents and seven transportation companies have admitted to stealing millions from Medicaid. New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Thursday, Dec. 5, that five have pleaded guilty to stealing more than $4.4 million from New York’s Medicaid program through fake billing, illegal kickbacks, and engaging in money laundering and other fraudulent schemes to conceal their crimes.  Muhammad Rizwan Khan, 38, Muhammad Usman Khan, 40, and Farhan Khan, 29, all of Orange County, and their related companies pleaded guilty on Wednesday, Dec. 4, in Or…

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by Kathy Reakes
Politics
Journalist Vs. Chemist: Avlon, Goroff Face Off In Closely-Watched NY Congressional Primary Race Journalist Vs. Chemist: Avlon, Goroff Face Off In Closely-Watched NY Congressional Primary Race
Journalist Vs. Chemist: Avlon, Goroff Face Off In Closely-Watched NY Congressional Primary Race Among the New York races that political pundits are keeping an eye on this Primary Day is that of the journalist versus the chemist. On Long Island, Democrats John Avlon and Nancy Goroff are facing off to determine who will take on Republican Rep. Nick LaLota in November for the state’s 1st Congressional District, representing the eastern two-thirds of Suffolk County. The 51-year-old Avlon is a former political analyst at CNN who previously served as a columnist and associate editor for The New York Sun. He was also the chief speech writer for former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Ea…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
$2M Scheme: Westchester Accounting Firm Partners Admit To Tax Fraud Conspiracy $2M Scheme: Westchester Accounting Firm Partners Admit To Tax Fraud Conspiracy
$2M Scheme: Westchester Accounting Firm Partners Admit To Tax Fraud Conspiracy Two New York accounting firm partners have pleaded guilty to a multi-million dollar tax evasion scheme.  Click here for a new, updated story - Update: Scarsdale-Based Accountant Nabbed In Tax Fraud Scheme Was Longtime Firefighter Westchester County resident George Sanossian, age 70, of Scarsdale, and New Jersey resident Jack Sardis, age 66, of Englewood Cliffs, both certified public accountants, admitted to conspiracy to defraud the IRS by scheming with clients to reduce tax liabilities through a shell company, leading to over $2 million in unreported cash transactions.  The tw…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Nursing Home Stole $22.6M In Government Funds, NY AG Says Nursing Home Stole $22.6M In Government Funds, NY AG Says
Nursing Home Stole $22.6M In Government Funds, NY AG Says Millions of dollars in public funding that should’ve gone to caring for residents of a New York nursing home were instead diverted into the pockets of its greedy owners, according to a lawsuit from Attorney General Letitia James. The suit, filed Friday, Dec. 16, alleges a years-long fraud scheme carried out by the owners of Long Island’s Cold Spring Hills Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation, located in Woodbury. Earlier Report: East Meadow Nursing Home's $16M Fraud Scheme Led To 'Devastating' Resident Abuse, AG Says An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) found that…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
NY Nursing Home's $16M Fraud Scheme Led To 'Devastating' Resident Abuse, Neglect, AG Says NY Nursing Home's $16M Fraud Scheme Led To 'Devastating' Resident Abuse, Neglect, AG Says
NY Nursing Home's $16M Fraud Scheme Led To 'Devastating' Resident Abuse, Neglect, AG Says Sexual abuse, unexplained bruising, unanswered call bells, and humiliating missed trips to the bathroom. Those were just some of the horrors experienced by residents at a New York nursing home stemming from a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme, according to a lawsuit from Attorney General Letitia James. Related Report: East Meadow Nursing Home Employee Sexually Assaulted Resident, Boss Covered Up Crime, DA Says The suit, filed Tuesday, Dec. 13, alleges that the owners of Long Island’s Fulton Commons Care Center, located in East Meadow, exploited New York’s Medicaid program to enrich themsel…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
NY Doctor Charged For $1.3 Million Fraud Scheme NY Doctor Charged For $1.3 Million Fraud Scheme
NY Doctor Charged For $1.3 Million Fraud Scheme A New York doctor is accused of defrauding Medicare and Medicaid of over $1.3 million. Federal prosecutors allege that Dr. Perry Frankel, age 64, of Roslyn, in Nassau County, submitted false billing claims to Medicare and Medicaid for office visits that were never performed for patients who received COVID-19 tests. The tests were done at mobile sites across Long Island through Frankel’s cardiology clinic, Advanced Cardiovascular Diagnostics PLLC, located in Great Neck. Frankel was not even in New York when some of the alleged office visits occurred, prosecutors said. “As alleged, exploiti…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Doctor From Westchester Charged For 'Prolific Seven-Year Fraud Scheme,' Feds Say Doctor From Westchester Charged For 'Prolific Seven-Year Fraud Scheme,' Feds Say
Doctor From Westchester Charged For 'Prolific 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…

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by Zak Failla
News
Six Physical Therapists, Two Acupuncturists Charged In $20M Fraud Scheme, SDNY Says Six Physical Therapists, Two Acupuncturists Charged In $20M Fraud Scheme, SDNY Says
Six Physical Therapists, Two Acupuncturists Charged In $20M Fraud Scheme, Sdny Says Six physical therapists and a pair of acupuncturists in New York are facing charges for their roles in a $20 million health care fraud scheme during the COVID-19 pandemic. US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Audrey Strauss announced that nine suspects have been indicted for operating an over $20 million health care fraud scheme at fraudulent medical offices in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. It is alleged that as part of the fraud scheme, co-conspirators paid a kickback to some patients who were insured by Medicare and other insurance providers to fraudulently bill them for p…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Feds Charge Rockland Doctor, Wife With $1.3M Genetic Testing Scheme COVID-19: Feds Charge Rockland Doctor, Wife With $1.3M Genetic Testing Scheme
Covid-19: Feds Charge Rockland Doctor, Wife With $1.3M Genetic Testing Scheme COVID-19 hardly fazed a Rockland doctor who, with his wife, continued to collect bribes and kickbacks in exchange for ordering millions of dollars in genetic tests from his offices in Pennsylvania, a federal grand jury in Newark, New Jersey charged. Yitzchok “Barry” Kurtzer, age 61, and Robin Kurtzer, age 60, both of Monsey, collected monthly cash kickbacks and bribes ranging in exchange for “collecting DNA samples from Medicare patients and sending them for genetic tests to clinical laboratories in New Jersey and Pennsylvania,” beginning in 2018, Acting US Attorney for New Jersey Rachael Ho…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Westchester Doctor Sentenced For Pushing Fentanyl For Drug Company Westchester Doctor Sentenced For Pushing Fentanyl For Drug Company
Westchester Doctor Sentenced For Pushing Fentanyl For Drug Company A Westchester doctor who practiced in Manhattan has been sentenced to five years in prison for taking bribes from drug companies for prescribing fentanyl. Jeffrey Goldstein, of New Rochelle, was sentenced on Wednesday, June 16, for violating the anti-kickback statute after receiving more than $200,000 from Subsys’s manufacturer, Insys Therapeutics, in exchange for prescribing Subsys, a potent fentanyl-based spray, said. Audrey Strauss, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Goldstein, age 51, previously pleaded guilty, in August 2019, the United States Attorney's Office sa…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
COVID-19: Don't Fall For These Vaccine-Related Scams, Police Say COVID-19: Don't Fall For These Vaccine-Related Scams, Police Say
Covid-19: Don't Fall For These Vaccine-Related Scams, Police Say The rise in Americans going out and getting the COVID-19 vaccine has also brought about a rise in the number of opportunistic scammers looking to take advantage of the pandemic, law enforcement officials are cautioning. An alert was issued by police in the area regarding COVID-19 vaccine scams that have been reported to law enforcement agencies across the country. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), scammers have been using telemarketing calls, text messages, social media platforms, and door-to-door visits to perpetrate COVID-…

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by Zak Failla
Politics
COVID-19: Nursing Home Scandal Could Bring Criminal Charges For Cuomo, Prosecutor Says COVID-19: Nursing Home Scandal Could Bring Criminal Charges For Cuomo, Prosecutor Says
Covid-19: Nursing Home Scandal Could Bring Criminal Charges For Cuomo, Prosecutor Says New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s COVID-19 nursing home scandal could lead to federal charges, according to a longtime prosecutor. John Daukas, who was acting attorney general for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division under President Donald Trump, said that Cuomo could face criminal charges after underreporting nursing home deaths and then attempting to cover it up. Earlier story - COVID-19: Nursing Home Scandal Fallout Increases As More Dems Turn On Cuomo, Feds Launch Probe In an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, Daukas said that Cuomo’s administration misled the public, and the …

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Cuomo Calls For Nursing Home Reform Amid Federal Probe, Increasing Pressure COVID-19: Cuomo Calls For Nursing Home Reform Amid Federal Probe, Increasing Pressure
Covid-19: Cuomo Calls For Nursing Home Reform Amid Federal Probe, Increasing Pressure With pressure coming from both sides of the aisle into investigating New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s handling of nursing homes during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, he has vowed sweeping reform as part of the 30-day amendments. Cuomo announced reforms to improve the health, quality of life, and safety of nursing home residents to ensure that “facilities prioritize patient care over profits.” “You can’t say to a nursing home that ‘either you can buy new beds, or you can make more money,' " Cuomo said during a COVID-19 briefing on Friday, Feb. 19. “It’s not a matter of hiring more staff or …

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Beware Of These Vaccine Scams, FBI, DOJ Warn COVID-19: Beware Of These Vaccine Scams, FBI, DOJ Warn
Covid-19: Beware Of These Vaccine Scams, FBI, DOJ Warn Scammers are using the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines in the United States to trick people into paying for doses or early access that never comes, federal authorities are warning. As COVID-19 vaccines become more available, there has been a spike in scams seeking to exploit people’s desire to protect themselves and their loved ones from the virus, according to the U.S. Department of Justice as well as local police departments and other law enforcement agencies. “Members of the public should be suspicious of unexpected or unsolicited contact from anyone unknown to them claiming to have inform…

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by Kristin Palpini
News
Latest Scams Impersonate Sheriff, Medicaid Latest Scams Impersonate Sheriff, Medicaid
Latest Scams Impersonate Sheriff, Medicaid The scammers are at it again, and this time they are even pretending to be a local sheriff. According to the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office, a new scam involves callers identifying themselves as Sheriff Adrian "Butch" Anderson and tells the person they have been the victim of identity theft, said Capt. John Watterson. Another new scam is also hitting the phone lines with callers pretending to be from Medicare offer fake services that don't exist, the department said. The Medicaid scammers are using the number 661-468-9066.  The two new scams do not appear to be connected, and so fa…

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by Kathy Reakes
Politics
22-Year-Old From Hudson Valley Running For State Senate 22-Year-Old From Hudson Valley Running For State Senate
22-Year-Old From Hudson Valley Running For State Senate An upstart 22-year-old from the area announced his intention to run for the New York State Senate. Rockland resident Matthew Weinberg, a Republican, is the latest candidacy to throw his hat into the ring for the New York State Senate District 38 seat that has been held by Democratic Sen. David Carlucci since 2010. Carlucci will be challenging for the retiring Nita Lowey’s seat in New York’s 17th congressional district.  In a statement, Weinberg, of Suffern, cited "disunity within his district, depressed property values due to some of the highest property and school taxes in the nation,…

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by Zak Failla
News
Area Doctor Billed Patients $8M For Surgeries He Didn't Do, Feds Say Area Doctor Billed Patients $8M For Surgeries He Didn't Do, Feds Say
Area Doctor Billed Patients $8M For Surgeries He Didn't Do, Feds Say A Westchester eye doctor who had practices throughout the Hudson Valley and Fairfield County is facing charges for health care fraud. Ameet Goyal, 56, of Rye, who operates The Eye Associates Group, with practices in Rye, Mount Kisco, Wappingers Falls and in Greenwich, was arrested and charged by federal officials for allegedly fraudulently billing patients. The indictment alleges that between 2010 and 2017, Goyal was billing patients, Medicare, and private insurance programs millions of dollars for complex eye surgeries that were never actually performed. The complaint states that Goyal and…

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by Zak Failla