Queens man pleads guilty to medical fraud scheme

 A Queens man pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud by conning a pharmaceutical manufacturer out of nearly $7 million from a program designed to reduce prescription costs, federal authorities said.

Arkadiy Khaimov, 37, submitted fraudulent claims under the manufacturer’s CO-pay Coupon Program meant to reduce the cost of prescription medicines, Seth D. DuCharme, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a statement.

In some instances, Khaimov and his co-conspirators fraudulently used credentials of a doctor in Nassau County to submit the false claims, authorities said.

Khaimov faces up to 20 years in prison, officials said. He pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge A. Kathleen Tomlinson in Central Islip’s federal courthouse, authorities said.

As part of his guilty plea, he has agreed to forfeit $489,000 obtained from the scheme, officials said.

“With today’s guilty plea, Khaimov is held accountable for bilking a program designed to reduce the cost of prescription medicines so that he could line his own pockets with millions of dollars,” DuCharme said in the statement. “The defendant will now face the consequences of his fraudulent scheme.”  

Khaimov’s Manhattan-based attorney Isabelle Kirshner said by phone Wednesday afternoon: “He’s taken responsibility for his conduct and entered a guilty plea to the charges that were brought and will face a judge’s decision come March.” Kirshner was referencing Khaimov’s March sentencing.

The defrauded pharmaceutical manufacturer was only identified as “John Doe Company 1” in Khaimov’s indictment, officials said. The company’s Co-pay Program was meant to reimburse pharmacies for dispensing prescription medications, authorities said.

Between February 2017 and July 2018, Khaimov and his co-conspirators submitted claims for $6.9 million under the Co-pay Program for medications from pharmacies that were operated by Khaimov and his co-conspirators, officials said. But those medications were actually never distributed, authorities said.

None of Khaimov’s co-conspirators were identified in Wednesday’s statement released by federal officials.