Particle.news
Download on the App Store
3 ARTICLES
·
last mo.

10-Year Sentence in $2 Billion Telemedicine Fraud Tied to Moscow-Based Ring

The case underscores a broader push by the Justice Department’s new fraud unit to pursue complex scams that target private health insurers.

Image
Image

Overview

  • Anthony Santamaria, sentenced Tuesday in Brooklyn federal court, received 10 years in prison and an order to forfeit about $3.2 million.
  • Two co-defendants were sentenced earlier this month, with Hershel Tsikman receiving 120 months and Hafizullah Ebady 97 months, and restitution will be set later.
  • Prosecutors said the ring used sham call centers and fake telemedicine visits to generate prescriptions without real exams, and many listed patients never got the drugs.
  • The group bought U.S. pharmacies through straw owners and trained Moscow-based billers to file claims, leading to roughly $1.97 billion in submissions and more than $758 million paid by insurers.
  • Prosecutors said alleged leader Brian Sutton remains at large overseas as three convicted co-conspirators await sentencing in a case led by EDNY with support from the DOJ’s new National Fraud Enforcement Division.