[Assam] [assam] Indian-Americans Caught In $450 million Medicare Fraud

[bhuban.baruah]

Times of India(May 3, 2012)

WASHINGTON: Several Indian-Americans are among 107 people charged in 
Medicare fraud schemes involving $450 million in false billings 
uncovered in an operation across seven cities in the largest US bust in 
recent history.

Top US law enforcement officials announced the charges were filed in 
seven metropolitan areas, capping an investigation of several months 
into efforts to defraud Medicare, Medicaid and other federal health 
programmes for senior citizens.

At least 91 of the defendants in the case have been taken into custody 
following an early morning roundup and the execution of 20 search 
warrants, the officials said.

In Miami, 59 people were charged. Seven defendants were charged in 
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, nine were charged in Houston, eight were 
charged in Los Angeles, 22 were charged in Detroit, one was charged in 
Chicago and one in Tampa.

At least four Indian Americans figured among those charged in Detroit.

While Sachin Sharma, 36, and Dana Sharma, 29, of Michigan and two 
others were charged for their roles in a $23 million scheme to defraud 
Medicare, Madhur Thawani, 27, and Ankit Patel, 27, also of Michigan and 
three others were charged in another $13.8 million scheme to defraud 
Medicare.

Those arrested include nurses, therapists, social workers and a 
pharmacist. Charges against ambulance companies for billing to cover 
unnecessary rides represented a new wrinkle in fraud enforcement, 
officials said.

FBI Deputy Director Sean Joyce told a press conference here to announce 
the charges that the FBI is currently investigating more than 2,600 
cases of health care fraud.

In 2011, the FBI charged more than 1,600 individuals, and helped secure 
more than 700 convictions, he said.