Investigation Uncovered Alleged Network of Fraudulent Eye Care Clinics Billing Medicaid Millions for Fake Eye SurgeriesStolen Funds Used to Buy Jewelry, Luxury Cars, and New Jersey MansionNew York Attorney General Letitia James and Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli today announced the indictment and arrest of Maksim Grinberg, 53, of New York City for an alleged years-long fraud scheme that stole over $9 million from Medicaid. Grinberg and his eight companies, which operate under the name EyePic, were charged with 15 crimes for operating eye care clinics throughout New York City that falsely charged Medicaid for eye surgeries that never happened.
An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) and the Office of the New York State Comptroller (OSC) found that Grinberg used credentials from ophthalmologists that were previously affiliated with his businesses to submit false claims for eye surgery procedures, fraudulently collecting millions of dollars in payments from managed care organizations funded by New York’s Medicaid program. Grinberg allegedly spent the stolen funds on expensive purchases such as a mansion in New Jersey, jewelry, international travel, and luxury cars including an Audi, a Bentley, a Porsche, and a Lamborghini.
“Scammers who steal from Medicaid are corrupting our health care system and taking funds meant to support our state’s most vulnerable residents,” said Attorney General James. “Our investigation shut down a shameless scheme that stole millions of dollars from taxpayers and took advantage of doctors without their knowledge. We will not tolerate Medicaid fraud in New York, and I am grateful to Comptroller DiNapoli for his partnership.”
"Despite being caught once before, Grinberg allegedly brazenly tried to cheat the healthcare system again out of millions of dollars meant for those in need," said Comptroller DiNapoli. “Rooting out Medicaid fraud is a top priority of mine, and I will continue my partnership with Attorney General James to eliminate any such attempts. My thanks to Attorney General James for her partnership to hold Grinberg accountable.”
While Grinberg is not a medical professional of any kind, he allegedly set up eye care clinics in Manhattan and Brooklyn in the names of doctors to bill Medicaid for fake procedures. From January 1, 2024, to July 31, 2025, Grinberg submitted thousands of claims falsely stating that four doctors performed surgeries to remove scars on patients’ eyelid linings due to infection. However, the businesses Grinberg ran were merely optical shops for fitting eyeglasses and the surgeries he billed for never occurred. Grinberg allegedly instructed his staff to use the doctors’ credentials to bill three managed care organizations operated by New York’s Medicaid program, Fidelis Care New York (Fidelis), Healthfirst PHSP (Healthfirst), and Molina Healthcare of New York (Molina). The false claims for these fake surgeries allowed him to steal more than $9 million from Medicaid.
Grinberg allegedly used the stolen Medicaid funds to pay restitution owed from a 2017 bank fraud conviction prosecuted by the Brooklyn District Attorney and to fund his lavish lifestyle. His expenses allegedly included gambling, expensive jewelry, fine dining, caviar, high-end fashion, international and domestic travel, and private school tuition for family members. Grinberg also spent the stolen funds on rent for a penthouse apartment in Battery Park City, mortgage payments for a six-bedroom mansion with a swimming pool and three-car garage in New Jersey, and luxury cars, including an Audi, a Bentley, a Porsche, and a Lamborghini.
Grinberg’s businesses under his EyePic brand that were indicted include:
- Family Eye Care Ophthalmology, P.C.; 9th Street Vision Care, Inc., and Parkslope Eye Care, Inc., which all operated out of the same address at 334 9ththStreet in Brooklyn
- Flatbush Eye Care, Inc. at 1054 Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn
- Graham Eye Care, LLC at 102 Graham Avenue in Brooklyn
- Harlem Eye Care, Inc. at 2249 2nd Avenue in Manhattan
- MGBK Management, LLC at 326 9th Street in Brooklyn
Grinberg was arraigned before Judge Danny Chun of Kings County Supreme Court. Grinberg and his businesses are charged with 15 crimes, including Grand Larceny in the First Degree, Health Care Fraud in the First Degree, Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree, and Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree. If convicted on the top count, Grinberg faces a maximum sentence of eight and a third to 25 years in prison.
These charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
The OAG thanks OSC, the New York State Department of Health, and the Office of the Medicaid Inspector General for their assistance in this investigation. The OAG also thanks Fidelis, Healthfirst, and Molina for their cooperation.
The MFCU’s investigation was led by Detectives Mohammad Rahman and Gregory Nealon who were assisted by Detectives Aleksandr Lipkin, Daryl Sims, and Senior Detective Larry Williams, under the supervision of Detective Supervisor James Briscoe and Deputy Chief Ronald Lynch. The audit investigation was conducted by Senior Auditor Investigator Michael Di Mascio with the assistance of Auditor Investigator Andrea Lombeyda and Principal Auditor Investigator Kizzy-Ann Waldropt, under the supervision of Regional Chief Auditor Jonathan Romano. Data Analysis was performed by Senior Research Analyst Elise Roche, under the supervision of Chief Auditor Dejan Budimir.
MFCU is led by Deputy Attorney General Amy Held and Assistant Deputy Attorney General Thomas O’Hanlon. MFCU is part of the Division for Criminal Justice, which is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General José Maldonado and overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.
New York MFCU’s total funding for federal fiscal year (FY) 2026 is $70,793,651. Of that total, 75 percent, or $53,095,240, is awarded under a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $17,698,411 for FY 2026, is funded by New York State. New York MFCU has recovered $627,812,108 for the Medicaid program through its criminal and civil investigations and prosecutions from federal fiscal years 2019 through 2025.
New York Attorney General Letitia James and Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli today announced the indictment and arrest of Maksim Grinberg, 53, of New York City for an alleged years-long fraud scheme that stole over $9 million from Medicaid. Grinberg and his eight companies, which operate under the name EyePic, were charged with 15 crimes for operating eye care clinics throughout New York City that falsely charged Medicaid for eye surgeries that never happened.
An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) and the Office of the New York State Comptroller (OSC) found that Grinberg used credentials from ophthalmologists that were previously affiliated with his businesses to submit false claims for eye surgery procedures, fraudulently collecting millions of dollars in payments from managed care organizations funded by New York’s Medicaid program. Grinberg allegedly spent the stolen funds on expensive purchases such as a mansion in New Jersey, jewelry, international travel, and luxury cars including an Audi, a Bentley, a Porsche, and a Lamborghini.
“Scammers who steal from Medicaid are corrupting our health care system and taking funds meant to support our state’s most vulnerable residents,” said Attorney General James. “Our investigation shut down a shameless scheme that stole millions of dollars from taxpayers and took advantage of doctors without their knowledge. We will not tolerate Medicaid fraud in New York, and I am grateful to Comptroller DiNapoli for his partnership.”
"Despite being caught once before, Grinberg allegedly brazenly tried to cheat the healthcare system again out of millions of dollars meant for those in need," said Comptroller DiNapoli. “Rooting out Medicaid fraud is a top priority of mine, and I will continue my partnership with Attorney General James to eliminate any such attempts. My thanks to Attorney General James for her partnership to hold Grinberg accountable.”
While Grinberg is not a medical professional of any kind, he allegedly set up eye care clinics in Manhattan and Brooklyn in the names of doctors to bill Medicaid for fake procedures. From January 1, 2024, to July 31, 2025, Grinberg submitted thousands of claims falsely stating that four doctors performed surgeries to remove scars on patients’ eyelid linings due to infection. However, the businesses Grinberg ran were merely optical shops for fitting eyeglasses and the surgeries he billed for never occurred. Grinberg allegedly instructed his staff to use the doctors’ credentials to bill three managed care organizations operated by New York’s Medicaid program, Fidelis Care New York (Fidelis), Healthfirst PHSP (Healthfirst), and Molina Healthcare of New York (Molina). The false claims for these fake surgeries allowed him to steal more than $9 million from Medicaid.
Grinberg allegedly used the stolen Medicaid funds to pay restitution owed from a 2017 bank fraud conviction prosecuted by the Brooklyn District Attorney and to fund his lavish lifestyle. His expenses allegedly included gambling, expensive jewelry, fine dining, caviar, high-end fashion, international and domestic travel, and private school tuition for family members. Grinberg also spent the stolen funds on rent for a penthouse apartment in Battery Park City, mortgage payments for a six-bedroom mansion with a swimming pool and three-car garage in New Jersey, and luxury cars, including an Audi, a Bentley, a Porsche, and a Lamborghini.
Grinberg’s businesses under his EyePic brand that were indicted include:
- Family Eye Care Ophthalmology, P.C.; 9th Street Vision Care, Inc., and Parkslope Eye Care, Inc., which all operated out of the same address at 334 9ththStreet in Brooklyn
- Flatbush Eye Care, Inc. at 1054 Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn
- Graham Eye Care, LLC at 102 Graham Avenue in Brooklyn
- Harlem Eye Care, Inc. at 2249 2nd Avenue in Manhattan
- MGBK Management, LLC at 326 9th Street in Brooklyn
Grinberg was arraigned before Judge Danny Chun of Kings County Supreme Court. Grinberg and his businesses are charged with 15 crimes, including Grand Larceny in the First Degree, Health Care Fraud in the First Degree, Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree, and Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree. If convicted on the top count, Grinberg faces a maximum sentence of eight and a third to 25 years in prison.
These charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
The OAG thanks OSC, the New York State Department of Health, and the Office of the Medicaid Inspector General for their assistance in this investigation. The OAG also thanks Fidelis, Healthfirst, and Molina for their cooperation.
The MFCU’s investigation was led by Detectives Mohammad Rahman and Gregory Nealon who were assisted by Detectives Aleksandr Lipkin, Daryl Sims, and Senior Detective Larry Williams, under the supervision of Detective Supervisor James Briscoe and Deputy Chief Ronald Lynch. The audit investigation was conducted by Senior Auditor Investigator Michael Di Mascio with the assistance of Auditor Investigator Andrea Lombeyda and Principal Auditor Investigator Kizzy-Ann Waldropt, under the supervision of Regional Chief Auditor Jonathan Romano. Data Analysis was performed by Senior Research Analyst Elise Roche, under the supervision of Chief Auditor Dejan Budimir.
MFCU is led by Deputy Attorney General Amy Held and Assistant Deputy Attorney General Thomas O’Hanlon. MFCU is part of the Division for Criminal Justice, which is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General José Maldonado and overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.
New York MFCU’s total funding for federal fiscal year (FY) 2026 is $70,793,651. Of that total, 75 percent, or $53,095,240, is awarded under a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $17,698,411 for FY 2026, is funded by New York State. New York MFCU has recovered $627,812,108 for the Medicaid program through its criminal and civil investigations and prosecutions from federal fiscal years 2019 through 2025.
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