The sign will be seen at the US Department of Justice headquarters in Washington, DC, August 29, 2020.
Andrew Kelly | Reuters
Wednesday US Department of Justice Announced criminal accusations against two people in California. The plan allegedly made a false fraudulent health claim of $ 144 million for a federal program of unnecessary Covid-19 tests.
The Justice Department also announced the criminal case againt 19 other defendants, including doctors and nursesAn additional $ 8 million for fake Covid-related claims to federal health programs and theft from federal-funded pandemic support programs, including health care managers. The prosecution also alleges that some defendants sold fake vaccination cards and fake coronavirus medications.
The case spans nine federal court districts.
Luis Kesada, assistant director of the FBI’s Criminal Investigation Bureau, said:
“The abuse of these health frauds undermines the integrity and trust that patients have with people in the medical industry, especially when they are vulnerable and worrisome to many individuals,” Kesada said.
In a major California case, Glendale’s 63-year-old Imran Shams and Lourdes Navarro, owners of clinical laboratories, were involved in a medical fraud, kickback, and money laundering program with fraudulent claims in excess of $ 214 million. I was charged. Clinical examination.
According to prosecutors, more than $ 125 million of these claims are related to fraudulent claims for Covid and respiratory pathogen tests “submitted regardless of medical need.”
According to the Justice Ministry, “Shams and Navarro have fraudulently concealed Shams’ role in the lab and his previous medical-related criminal convictions.” Shams has been banned from participating in federal Medicare programs for decades.
“The indictment also pays rebates to marketers where Shams and Navarro have obtained specimens and test orders, and spends on real estate, luxury goods, personal goods and services through Navarro-managed shell companies, etc. He claims to have washed away his earnings. “The Justice Department said.
In Washington, 53-year-old Robert Van Camp, who lives in Parker, Colorado, was accused of using a blank Covid-19 vaccination card to forge and sell hundreds of fake vaccine record cards. I did. At least 12 states, according to the DOJ.
“Vancamp has told secret agents that it has sold cards to Tokyo Olympic athletes, three Olympic athletes from Tokyo, Amsterdam, Hawaii, Costa Rica and Honduras and their coaches,” DOJ said in the news. rice field. release.
VanCamp is also said to have told the agent, “I have a veterinary company and 30 people go back to Canada every day to Canada. Mexico is big. And as I said, I am.” .. Since m is in 12 or 13 states, f — I’m taking money until I get caught and go to jail (laughs)! I don’t care, “said the Justice Ministry.
Other defendants include Lisa Hammel of Turnersville, NJ, a worker at the US Postal Service. Hammell is responsible for creating fake Covid vaccine cards and printing them during her work.
Thirty-Nine Hammel has been accused of selling at least 400 fake vaccination cards to people who have not actually been vaccinated with Covid.
In another case in Maryland and Long Island, NY, clinic owners obtained sensitive information from patients seeking coronavirus testing at drive-through sites, and on short office visits, Medicare, Medicade, and A much longer office visit that didn’t really happen has been accused of filing a fake claim with another insurance company.
In the case of Long Island, Dr. Perry Frankel, 64, a cardiologist in Roslyn, New York, was charged with more than $ 1.3 million in medical fraud on claims made during a Covid pandemic.
In the Maryland case, Arnold-born 47-year-old Ron Elfenbine was charged with medical fraud related to more than $ 1.5 million in claims related to the COVID-19 test.
In Utah, a former employee of Salt Lake City International Airport Terminal’s pre-flight Covid test service XpresCheck has been charged with wire fraud for giving false negative test results to people traveling at the airport.
Worker, 28-year-old Linda Tufui Toli of Salt Lake City, said, “I was looking for a COVID inspection service from XpresCheck before traveling to Hawaii, Israel, and other places where travelers need to provide negatives. Pre-departure COVID test results allegedly intercepted a call from a traveler. “
According to the DOJ, “Toli cancels the traveler’s COVID test via XpresCheck, arranges for the traveler to buy a counterfeit negative COVID test directly from her, and uses an electronic mobile payment service to determine the counterfeit test results. I accepted the payment. “
