Amrish Patel and Medlink Allegedly Stole Funds Intended for Surgeons Who Provided Care to Injured Workers
New York Attorney General Letitia James announced the arrest and arraignment of Amrish Patel, 61, of Monroe Township, New Jersey, for allegedly stealing more than $1 million that was intended to be paid directly to doctors who provided medical care to injured workers under the New York State Workers’ Compensation Law. Patel, who provided billing services to a Brooklyn-based orthopedic surgery practice, allegedly submitted falsified claim forms to the New York State Insurance Fund (NYSIF) to steal at least $1.1 million in workers’ compensation reimbursements for himself. Patel and his two companies, Medlink Services, Inc. and Medlink Partners, LLC (together, Medlink), were charged today with 27 felony counts for the thefts they allegedly committed from January 2012 through January 2019.
“Workers’ compensation fraud is not a victimless crime,” said New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang. “The defendant compromised the integrity of this crucial safety net when he took advantage of his trusted position to ensure accurate billing for medical providers and health insurers. I am grateful to the Office of the Attorney General and the New York State Insurance Fund for their partnership in rooting out this fraud.”
Patel was arraigned before the Honorable Holly Trexler in Albany City Court. Patel and the companies were charged with one count of Insurance Fraud in the First Degree (Class B felony), one count of Grand Larceny in the First Degree (Class B felony), one count of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree (Class C felony), one count of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree (Class D felony), one count of Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree (Class E felony), 11 counts of Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree (Class E felony), and 11 counts of Workers’ Compensation Fraud (Class E felony). Patel was released with electronic monitoring and a $100,000 bond.
The charges are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
These charges are the result of a joint investigation by the Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) Criminal Enforcement and Financial Crimes Bureau (CEFC), NYSIF, and the New York State Offices of the Inspector General (OIG).
Attorney General James thanks NYSIF and OIG for their valuable assistance on this case.
Inspector General Lucy Lang thanked Attorney-in-Charge for Workers’ Compensation Fraud Bryan Richmond and Investigators James Pescetti and Lisa Lingenfelter for their work on this case.
No comments:
Post a Comment