Federal prosecutors have charged 13 folks—together with a New York Metropolis police officer, an lawyer and 4 physicians—in two indictments that allege they schemed to defraud auto insurers out of $100 million by bribing 911 operators and others for entry motorized vehicle accident information so they may steer sufferers to deprave docs.
Damian Williams, U.S. Legal professional for the Southern District of New York, introduced the felony expenses on Wednesday. He stated it’s the one of many largest no-fault insurance coverage fraud takedowns in historical past, one which his workplace began investigating in 2017.
“In finishing up their large scheme, amongst different strategies, they allegedly bribed 911 operators, hospital staff, and others for confidential motorized vehicle accident sufferer data,” Williams stated in an announcement. “With this data, they then endangered victims by subjecting them to pointless and sometimes painful medical procedures, with the intention to fraudulently overbill insurance coverage corporations.”
Prosecutors say a fraud ring headed by Bradley Pierre took $70 million from no-fault insurers in a rip-off relationship again to 2008. Pierre allegedly spearheaded the scheme out of the legislation workplace of an unidentified member of the family who paid $4 million for accident-victim referrals.
The indictment says Pierre managed 5 “no-fault amenities” that had been ostensibly owned by licensed physicians.
A Linkedin web page within the title of Bradley Pierre says he’s proprietor of Medical Reimbursement Consultants Inc. in New York. A enterprise in that title was first registered in Nassau County in 2008, which is when prosecutors say the fraud scheme started.
Pierre put in closed-circuit tv cameras in his workplace, which he used to speak with Drs. Marvin Moy and William Weiner, the indictment says.
Moy is a health care provider licensed by New Jersey who practices in New York Metropolis, in response to state information. He allegedly carried out “pointless and painful” electrodiagnostic testing on sufferers.
Weiner is a health care provider of osteopathic medication licensed by New York who practices in East Rockaway. He falsified findings of accidents in magnetic-resonance imaging scans to spice up affected person referrals, in response to the indictment.
Arthur Bogoraz, a paralegal and supervisor at a separate private harm legislation agency in New York Metropolis and Andrew Prime, described as a “runner,” paid bribes to 911 operators for affected person and consumer referrals to the legislation corporations and the Pierre clinics, the indictment alleges.
The second indictment accuses Alexander Gulkarov, also referred to as “Little Alex,” of fraudulently proudly owning and controlling greater than a dozen medical skilled organizations. The scheme allegedly took $30 million from insurers since 2014.
Legal professional Robert Wisnicki, the founding associate of two New York-based legislation corporations, is accused of laundering a part of the proceeds of Gulkarov’s scheme. He hid cash transfers by fabricating retainer agreements, lied to legislation enforcement and dedicated perjury earlier than a federal grand jury, the indictment alleges.
Roman Israilov, Peter Khaimov, and Anthony DiPietro are accused of working with Gulkarov to function the fraud scheme. They allegedly bribed 911 operators, hospital staff and others for motorized vehicle accident sufferer data. Runners contacted the victims and lied to steer them to hunt remedy at clinics that Gukarov and his companions managed, the indictment says.
New York Metropolis Police Officer Albert Aronov is accused of logging into NYPD computer systems throughout off hours to seek for confidential accident reviews. He took pictures of the information and used a pre-paid “burner” cellphone to transmit them utilizing an encrypted messaging utility, the indictment says.
Drs. Rolando Chumaceiro and Marcelo Quiroga are named as co-conspirators within the indictment. They allegedly prescribed pointless and extreme medical remedies and overbilled insurance coverage carriers.
Dr. Rolando Jose Mendez Chumaceiro was licensed in 1993 and practices in Yonkers, in response to state Division of Skilled Regulation information accessible on-line. Dr. Francisco Gracia Quiroga offered an tackle in Tucson, Ariz. and isn’t registered to apply in New York.
“Schemes exploiting no-fault insurance coverage legal guidelines – which paradoxically exist to make insurance coverage extra inexpensive – additionally end in larger prices, and unfairly burden all customers within the auto insurance coverage market,” Williams stated.
The indictments possible come no shock to some insurers. A gaggle of carriers led by Liberty Mutual sued Bradley and others in 2014 and reached a settlement in 2016, court docket information present. Allstate sued Pierre, Moy and others in 2015 and reached a settlement in 2017. USAA filed a lawsuit Pierre, Moy and others in 2018 and dismissed the case in 2020.
Gulkarov, Chumaceiro and Quiroga had been named as defendants in a Could 2020 lawsuit filed by GEICO. Gulkarov, Khaimov and Israilov are defendants in a second GEICO lawsuit filed earlier this month that additionally names a number of acupuncture and chiropractic clinics as defendants.
William’s workplace stated 10 of the alleged conspirators had been arrested in New York and New Jersey on Wednesday, whereas Gulkarov was arrested in Miami.
Pierre was launched after posting $1 million bond. He pledged a home he owns in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey; a condominium owned by his father-in-law and mother-in-law in Cliffside Park, New Jersey; and a condominium owned by his sister-in-law in Ft. Lee New Jersey as collateral, court docket information present.
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