LI doctor's credentials used to file false claims in $6.9M fraud, prosecutors say
A Queens man who authorities said "fraudulently used" the credentials of a Long Island-based physician to submit $6.9 million in false medical claims was indicted Friday in federal court in Central Islip, charging him with conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud, acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District Seth D. DuCharme said.
Arkadiy Khaimov, 37, of Forest Hills, Queens, faces a maximum of 20 years in prison if convicted. He is scheduled for arraignment at a later date.
The indictment details a scheme that alleges Khaimov, also known as Alex Khaimov, and co-conspirators used a copay program established through two Queens-based pharmacies to submit false claims for reimbursement for medications "never actually dispensed." The unnamed physician, whose credentials the government said were fraudulently used, was described only as being "Nassau County-based." The scheme ran from February 2017 through July 2018, authorities said, and reimbursements were sought for supplies based on 18- and 21-day prescriptions, instead of the more-common 28-day supplies, in order for the schemers to file for two reimbursements under the copay program in a single month.
The case was investigated by the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation unit and the U.S. Attorney's Office.
"Khaimov allegedly stole millions of dollars from a program that was established to assist patients in need of high-cost medication," DuCharme said in a statement, adding: "Due to the hard work of our investigators and prosecutors he will now be held accountable."
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Philip R. Bartlett said: "It's utterly discouraging to see people capitalize on any initiative designed to contribute to the greater good, but when the crime is healthcare related, and manufacturers stand to lose millions, nobody wins in the long run."
Additional information was not immediately available Friday.
John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”
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