The state grand jury handed up the indictments against the three doctors and one chiropractor this morning. The medical practitioners were accused of taking kickbacks from Rehan Zuberi. Zuberi, 46, of Boonton, pleaded guilty last month to charges that he led a criminal enterprise that paid several million dollars of bribes and kickbacks to dozens of doctors from 2008 to 2014. The plea agreement calls for Zuberi to receive a 10-year state prison sentence with a four-year non-parole eligibility stipulation.
Those indicted today were:
“A doctor’s duty is to his patients’ care and well-being, not to his personal wealth,” said Acting Attorney General Hoffman. “By allegedly selling their medical opinion for kickbacks, the four medical practitioners indicted today have abandoned that duty, thus breaking the law and the trust of those who sought their advice.”
“Since we arrested Rehan Zuberi and his associates last year, our investigation has shined a light into the dark world of kickbacks that has unfortunately been a source of illegal income for some doctors,” said Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Ronald Chillemi. “Our prosecution seeks to reduce the role of greed in medicine and its impact on insurance consumers.”
The charges announced today are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Second-degree crimes carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a criminal fine of up to $150,000, while third-degree crimes carry a sentence of three to five years in state prison and a criminal fine of up to $15,000.
Medicaid Fraud Control Unit Chief Deputy Attorney General Peter Sepulveda and Deputy Attorney General Crystal Callahan presented the cases to the grand jury. Detective Anthony Correll coordinated the investigation with assistance from Detectives Jason Volpe, Yevgeny Gershman and Kevin Gannon. They worked closely with Special Agent William Makar from the Division of Taxation. Analyst Terri Drumm of the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor assisted in the investigation.
Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Chillemi noted that important cases have started with anonymous tips. People who are concerned about insurance cheating and have information about a fraud can report it anonymously by calling the toll-free hotline at 1-877-55-FRAUD, or visiting the Web site at www.NJInsurancefraud.org. State regulations permit a reward to be paid to an eligible person who provides information that leads to an arrest, prosecution and conviction for insurance fraud.
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