Showing posts with label Mario Roncal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mario Roncal. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Will Another Criminal Doctor Will Get A Slap On The Wrist?

Criminal Cardiologist Jose Katz

This criminal cock sucker has yet to be sentenced in spite of the fact that he has pleaded guilty several months ago to massive medical fraud that put patients in danger and medical billing fraud. This one is a no brainer. Life in prison and not at Club Fed but in a prison with hardened criminals who will beat the crap out of him on a daily basis.


http://www.fbi.gov/newark/press-releases/2013/prominent-tri-state-cardiologist-admits-record-19-million-billing-fraud-scheme-that-exposed-patients-to-unskilled-and-unnecessary-medical-treatment

Prominent Tri-State Cardiologist Admits Record $19 Million Billing Fraud Scheme That Exposed Patients to Unskilled and Unnecessary Medical Treatment

U.S. Attorney’s Office April 10, 2013
  • District of New Jersey (973) 645-2888
NEWARK, NJ—A well-known cardiologist and the founder, CEO, and sole owner of a pair of large medical services companies in New Jersey and New York admitted today to conspiring in a multi-million-dollar health care fraud scheme that subjected thousands of patients to unnecessary tests and potentially life-threatening, unneeded treatment, as well as treatment by unlicensed or untrained personnel. The guilty plea was announced today by U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Paul J. Fishman.

Jose Katz, 68, of Closter, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jose L. Linares in New Jersey federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of Social Security fraud arising from a separate scheme to give his wife a “no show” job and make her eligible for Social Security benefits.

As part of his plea agreement with the government, Katz agreed that the loss amount sustained by Medicare, Medicaid, and other insurers victimized by the fraudulent billings was $19 million. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General and FBI records indicate the loss amount suffered by the victims is the largest recorded in New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut for an individual practitioner convicted of health care fraud.

“After years of prominence in his field, Jose Katz will now be remembered for his record-setting fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Fishman. “Katz was so focused on illegal profits that he directed unlicensed and unqualified providers to treat his patients, ordered unnecessary tests, and cavalierly ordered treatments that could have caused patient harm. Ripping off the government and insurance companies is bad enough; risking patient health in the bargain is inexcusable.”

“Health care fraud is not a victimless crime. It is a plague on American society and could put the health of people who need medical care at risk,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford. “The FBI, together with its law enforcement and regulatory agency partners, will vigorously investigate these crimes and hold those responsible accountable.”

“I am proud to be part of the federal team that brought Dr. Katz to justice after a complicated investigation,” said Tom O’Donnell, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General’s New York Regional Office. Dr. Katz had very little regard for his patients and the Medicare program, as evidenced by his blatant behavior. Criminals can be assured that if they attempt to defraud Medicare and their patients, they will be brought to justice.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Katz was the founder, CEO, and sole equity-holder of Cardio-Med Services LLC (Cardio-Med) and Comprehensive Healthcare & Medical Services LLC (Comprehensive Healthcare). From 2004 through 2012, Cardio-Med had offices in Union City, Paterson, and West New York, New York, and Comprehensive Healthcare had offices in Manhattan and Queens, New York. Both Cardio-Med and Comprehensive Healthcare provided cardiology, internal medicine, and other medical services to individual patients. During that time period, Katz conspired to bill Medicare Part B, Medicaid, Empire BCBS, Aetna, and others for unnecessary tests and unnecessary procedures based on false diagnoses and for medical services rendered by unlicensed practitioners.

Between July 2006 and February 2009, Katz spent more than $6 million for advertising on Spanish-language television and radio stations. The ads attracted hundreds of patients to Cardio-Med and Comprehensive Healthcare every day. Overall, Katz was able to bill Medicare and Medicaid more than $70 million for his services from 2005 through 2012.

Over the course of the conspiracy, Katz ordered and performed essentially the same battery of diagnostic tests for nearly all the patients he treated, regardless of their symptoms. Katz also instructed his non-physician employees to order and perform diagnostic tests for patients of other doctors working at his offices, even though he had not examined those patients and the other physicians had not ordered the unnecessary tests.

Most significantly, Katz admitted that he falsified patient charts with fictitious and boilerplate symptoms and falsely diagnosed a majority of his Medicare and Medicaid patients with coronary artery disease and debilitating and inoperable angina. He also admitted to making the diagnoses to justify prescribing and administering an unnecessary treatment for those patients called enhanced external counter pulsation, or EECP. Katz even prescribed EECP treatments for some patients with contraindications for the treatment, therefore subjecting those patients to a substantial risk of serious injury or death.

From 2005 through 2012, Medicare and Medicaid paid Katz more than $15.6 million just for his EECP treatments, most of which were fraudulent.

In addition, Katz ordered conspirator Mario Roncal, 62, of Woodland Park, New Jersey—who had a medical degree from San Juan Bautista School of Medicine in San Juan, Puerto Rico but did not have a license to practice medicine in any of the 50 states—to treat patients, knowing he was not licensed. At Katz’s direction, Roncal held himself out to fellow employees and to patients as “Dr. Roncal,” examined new patients as well as Katz’s follow-up patients, ordered diagnostic tests, diagnosed patients with medical conditions and diseases, and recommended and prescribed courses of treatment and surgery—including falsely diagnosing patients with angina and prescribing EECP treatments for those patients.

To conceal this illegal and unlicensed practice of medicine, Roncal forged Katz’s signature on paperwork associated with Roncal’s unlawful medical services, including on patient charts. During the conspiracy, Katz used his own billing numbers to bill Medicare Part B and Medicaid for the illegal services Roncal provided as though they were provided by Katz.
Roncal was indicted on March 2, 2012, for conspiracy to commit health care fraud. He entered a guilty plea on January 4, 2013, and awaits sentencing.

Katz also admitted to a Social Security fraud scheme in which, from 2005 through 2012, he kept his wife on Cardio-Med’s payroll though she performed little or no work. During the course of the scheme, Katz sent false W-2 forms for calendar years 2005 through 2011 to the U.S. Social Security Administration purportedly reflecting $1,251,604 in earnings for his wife, making her eligible for an estimated $263,000 in Social Security benefits to which she was not entitled.

The health care fraud conspiracy and fraud counts with which Katz is charged carry a maximum potential penalty of 10 and five years in prison, respectively. Each count also carries a maximum $250,000 fine or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. At sentencing, currently scheduled before Judge Linares on July 23, 2013, Katz will also be ordered to pay restitution to victims of his offenses. Katz was granted $200,000 bail pending sentencing.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge O’Donnell; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Acting Inspector in Charge Maria Kelokates; the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Ryan; IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Shantelle P. Kitchen; and criminal and civil investigators with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the investigation leading to the guilty plea.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott B. McBride of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Health Care and Government Fraud Unit in Newark.

Read more about criminal doctor Jose Katz.

Are you thinking that massive medical billing fraud and patient abuse is rare? Think again!

July 30, 2013
Brooklyn Clinic Employee Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison in Connection with $77 Million Medicare Fraud SchemeYuri Khandrius, 50, of Brooklyn, N.Y., was sentenced today to eight years in prison for his role in a $77 million Medicare fraud scheme.
July 17, 2013

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces Charges against Eight Individuals in Connection with $2.3 Million Bribery and Kickback Scheme to Secure Business from a Medical Cost-Management CompanyPreet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Thomas O'Donnell, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and Steven G. Hughes, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Office of the U.S. Secret Service today announced charges against eight individuals for their alleged involvement in a lucrative scheme in which information technology vendors paid over $2.3 million in bribes and kickbacks to secure business from executives of a Manhattan-based medical cost management company.
July 17, 2013

Rx Trafficking Ring Controlled Brooklyn Medical Practices: Nearly $3.4 Million in Pills Diverted
Manhattan, NY -  Brian R. Crowell, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, Bridget G. Brennan, New York City's Special Narcotics Prosecutor, New York City Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly, Tom F. O'Donnell, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General New York Region (HHS-OIG), and New York State Commissioner of Health Nirav R. Shah, M.D., M.P.H., announced today the indictment and arrest of five members of a prescription drug trafficking ring that illegally collected and distributed over $3.4 million in oxycodone and other prescription drugs through medical offices they controlled in Brooklyn.
July 16, 2013

Brooklyn Money Launderer Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison in Connection with $77 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme
Earlier today, Anatoly Kraiter, 35, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced today to 37 months in prison for his role as a money launderer for a $77 million Medicare fraud scheme.  In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Nina Gershon of the Eastern District of New York sentenced Kraiter to three years of supervised release and ordered him to forfeit $100,000.  Kraiter's surrender date is September 16, 2013.
July 11, 2013

Former Chief Executive Officer Of Hospital For Special Surgery Pleads Guilty In Manhattan Federal Court To Fraudulent Kickback Scheme
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JOHN R. REYNOLDS, the former Chief Executive Officer ("CEO") of the Hospital for Special Surgery (the "Hospital"), pled guilty today in Manhattan federal court to participating in a fraudulent scheme in which he was paid nearly $300,000 in undisclosed kickbacks from a subordinate Hospital employee. REYNOLDS, who was arrested in September 2012, also pled guilty to making false statements to a law enforcement agent. U.S. Magistrate Judge Debra Freeman presided over today's plea proceeding.
June 19, 2013

NYC Pharmacy And Clinic-Based Criminal Enterprise Charged With $16 Million Theft And Fraud Perpetrated On Medicaid
Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced the indictment of six individuals and three corporations in a $16 million, multi-year scheme to steal from Medicaid. The scam targeted vulnerable HIV patients, mainly in the Bronx, putting their lives in jeopardy by paying them not to fill their HIV prescriptions and then billing Medicaid for those unfilled prescriptions.
June 13, 2013

Eighth Person Charged in Illegal Drug Scheme
A former New Britain resident was arrested today and charged with scheming with a former doctor to obtain prescription drugs that were paid for by a government health program and then sold illegally on the streets.
June 12, 2013

A.G. Schneiderman Recovers $2.5 Million In Nursing Home Medicaid Kickback Scheme
Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced a settlement with the estate of a late Bronx nursing home owner who was previously indicted on charges of paying thousands of dollars in kickbacks to a hospital social worker to steer patients to Kingsbridge Heights Rehabilitation and Care Center, Inc. The agreement with the estate of Helen Sieger returns more than $2.5 million to the New York State Medicaid program.
April 23, 2013

Prominent Tri-State Cardiologist Admits Record $19 Million Billing Fraud Scheme
Jose Katz plead guilty to fraud that subjected thousands of patients to unnecessary tests and treatment by unlicensed or untrained personnel.
April 12, 2013
Participant in $100 Million Medicare Fraud Sentenced in Manhattan Federal Court to 135 Months in PrisonHerayer Baghoumian was sentenced to 135 months in prison for his role in a $100 million massive Medicare fraud scheme.
April 10, 2013
Long Island Health Care Provider Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for $10 Million Medicare Fraud and HIPAA Identity TheftHelene Michel was convicted of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, health care fraud, and HIPAA identity theft crimes. Michel was ordered to forfeit $1.3 million that was seized by the government at the time of her indictment.
April 8, 2013
Brooklyn Doctor Convicted in $77 Million Medicare Fraud SchemeGustave Drivas, a medical doctor licensed in the State of New York, knowingly authorized his co-conspirators at a medical clinic in Brooklyn, New York, to use his Medicare billing number to charge Medicare for more than $20 million in medical procedures and services that were never performed. In return he received more than $500,000 for his role in the scheme.
March 5, 2013

Park Avenue Medical Associates Sued For Medicare Billing Fraud
The United States has filed a lawsuit against Park Avenue Medical Associates (PAMA) and Park Avenue Medical Associates, P.C. (PAMA PC), and related entities for thousands of claims that were not eligible for payment, resulting in over $1 million in damages.
February 25, 2013

Manhattan Doctor Pleads Guilty To $8.5 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme
Dr. Roberto Aymat and others billed Medicare for medications that were never administered or that were administered but were medically unnecessary.
February 25, 2013

Doctor Charged with Overcharging Medicaid and Medicare Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars
Dr. Naveed Ahmad is charged with billing Medicaid for more than $455,000 in unnecessary procedures and prescriptions and Medicare more than $10,000 in unnecessary procedures and proscriptions.
February 8, 2013

Leader Of Armenian Organized Crime Ring Sentenced To 37 Months In Prison For $100 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme
ARMEN KAZARIAN pled guilty in July of 2011 to racketeering conspiracy for the operation of a $100 million dollar Medicare fraud billing ring.
February 7, 2013
 
Hospital Admits Filing Duplicative Claims and Claims for Non-Reimbursable Costs and Agrees to Pay $2.325 Million
St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center, Continuum Health Partners, Inc., And SLR Psychiatric Associates improperly billed Medicare and Medicaid for out-patient services provided at its mental health clinics
Here's the kicker the above represents only the fraudsters that got caught, only the fraudters in NYC, and  only since February. 

Here's another kicker. The New York State Attorney General is a no bullshit tough son of a bitch so imagine all the fraud that never gets caught in New York State where they crack down on it and in other states like Florida where all the politicians are criminals. Theft through medical fraud probably steals more money from Americans than the banksters could ever imagine in their wildest dreams.

Do you know what would happen to these arch criminals is China? They'd be executed.