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Medicare

$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…
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…
$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…
$127M Scheme: Business Owner From Rockland Admits To Being Major Figure In Scam, Feds Say $127M Scheme: Business Owner From Rockland Admits To Being Major Figure In Scam, Feds Say
$127M Scheme: Business Owner From Rockland Admits To Being Major Figure In Scam, Feds Say A marketing company owner from Rockland County admitted in federal court that he was a major figure in scamming Medicare, TRICARE, and other benefit programs out of $127 million. Eric Karlewicz, age 44, of Chestnut Ridge, participated in a “circular scheme of kickbacks and bribes” with doctors, durable medical equipment businesses, and telemedicine companies to pull off the massive con, US Attorney Vikas Khanna said. Karlewicz – also known as Anthony Mazza -- used his considerable cut from $63.8 million in payoffs to buy himself a fleet of luxury vehicles that included a Ferrari, a Lamborgh…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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-…
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 …
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 …
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…
Feds: COVID Couldn't Slow Down Rockland Doc, Wife In Multi-Million Dollar Bribery Scam Feds: COVID Couldn't Slow Down Rockland Doc, Wife In Multi-Million Dollar Bribery Scam
Feds: COVID Couldn't Slow Down Rockland Doc, Wife In Multi-Million Dollar Bribery Scam The coronavirus pandemic 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, federal authorities said Thursday. Yitzachok “Barry” Kurtzer, 60, of Monsey operated an office in Scranton, PA, as did another physician, Lee Besen, 64, of Waverly, PA, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Craig Carpenito said. Both collected monthly cash kickbacks and bribes ranging from $500 to $5,000 in exchange for “collecting DNA samples from Medicare patients and sending them for genetic tests to clinical laboratorie…
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,…
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…
Two Doctors Among Five Charged In Northeast Regional Health Care Fraud Takedown Two Doctors Among Five Charged In Northeast Regional Health Care Fraud Takedown
Two Doctors Among Five Charged In Northeast Regional Health Care Fraud Takedown Two doctors, a pharmacy owner, pharmacist who lost his license and a registered nurse are facing charges for their roles in a $17 million fraud scheme. The United States Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York announced that Anna Steiner, 63, Denny Martin, 46, Andrew Barrett, 60, Phyllis Pincus, 58, and Kevin McMahon, 31, have been charged for defrauding the Medicare and Medicaid programs by overbilling them by millions of dollars. It is alleged that Steiner, a licensed anesthesiologist from Valatie in Columbia County, New York, was involved in a $17.4 million scheme related …
Chestnut Ridge Generic Drug Company Accused In Price-Fixing Scheme Chestnut Ridge Generic Drug Company Accused In Price-Fixing Scheme
Chestnut Ridge Generic Drug Company Accused In Price-Fixing Scheme A generic drug company based in Chestnut Ridge and a drug sales and marketing executive from Bardonia are among those charged in what authorities called “one of the most egregious and damaging price-fixing conspiracies in the history of the United States.”  A complaint filed by the 44 states in U.S. District Court in Connecticut names 20 companies and 16 individuals accused of participating in the scheme. Par Pharmaceutical Companies, Inc., of Chestnut Ridge, and Ara Aprahamian, of Bardonia, the vice president of sales and marketing at Taro Pharmaceuticals U.S.A, Inc., in Hawthorn…
NY State Part Of $209.2M Nationwide Settlement With Walgreens Over Medicaid Fraud NY State Part Of $209.2M Nationwide Settlement With Walgreens Over Medicaid Fraud
NY State Part Of $209.2M Nationwide Settlement With Walgreens Over Medicaid Fraud Walgreens has agreed to a nationwide settlement with New York and federal lawmakers regarding allegations of fraudulent over-dispensing of insulin pens at Walgreens pharmacies. New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that an agreement has been reached resolving allegations that Walgreens knowingly engaged in fraudulent conduct when it dispensed insulin pens. According to James, “when filling insulin prescriptions, Walgreens did not always adhere to the dosage outlined by the prescribing doctor, but rather dispensed insulin pens in boxes containing five pens, regardless of the pati…
Brothers Among Four Charged In Multi-Million Dollar Hudson Valley Health Insurance Fraud Brothers Among Four Charged In Multi-Million Dollar Hudson Valley Health Insurance Fraud
Brothers Among Four Charged In Multi-Million Dollar Hudson Valley Health Insurance Fraud A pair of Hudson Valley brothers were among four charged in federal court for their roles in an extensive, multi-million dollar scheme to defraud Medicare and health insurance providers through false billing. Middletown residents James Spina, 59, and Jeffery Spina, 56, participated “in a widespread health care fraud scheme through their fraudulent operation of Dolson Avenue Medical, a multi-disciplinary medical clinic located in (Orange County).” From 2011 through September last year, Dolson Avenue Medical was a registered medical service that “purported to provide a variety of pain managem…
Hudson Valley Doctor, Wife Fined Over Questionable Cancer Drug Hudson Valley Doctor, Wife Fined Over Questionable Cancer Drug
Hudson Valley Doctor, Wife Fined Over Questionable Cancer Drug A Poughkeepsie doctor and his wife have been ordered to pay fines for delivering misbranded cancer-fighting drugs, according to the United States Department of Justice. Oncologist Vincent Koh, 73, and his wife and office manager Milly Koh, 64, drew fines of $7,500 and $3,000, for receiving and delivering misbranded drugs, after pleading guilty in November, the Justice Department said. From July 2010 through March 2012, the Kohs ordered various discount oncology drugs from foreign sources that Vincent Koh prescribed and administered to patients. The drugs had not been approved by the Food an…