Indian-Origin Brothers Convicted in Major Fraud Scheme in the US
Conviction of Indian-Origin Individuals for Fraudulent Activities
Two individuals of Indian descent have been found guilty of orchestrating a vast criminal operation across multiple states, which included healthcare fraud, visa fraud, money laundering, and tax violations in the United States, as reported by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Monday.
Bhaskar Savani, aged 60, and his brother Arun Savani, aged 58, are now facing potential sentences totaling over 400 years in prison.
On March 9, a Pennsylvania court convicted the siblings for their involvement in a prolonged 'racketeering conspiracy' linked to their enterprise, the Savani Group.
Additionally, their associate, Aleksandra Radomiak, was also found guilty and could face up to 40 years behind bars, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
The US Department of Justice revealed that the Savani brothers established a network of businesses and dental clinics over a span of more than ten years, accumulating millions through various fraudulent schemes.
Prosecutors indicated that the group defrauded the Medicaid program of over $30 million by continuing to submit claims through proxy business owners even after their practices had lost eligibility.
Medicaid is a government-funded health insurance initiative in the US that offers free or low-cost medical services to low-income individuals, jointly financed by federal and state governments.
Furthermore, they billed for dental procedures performed by unlicensed dentists and utilized another dentist’s National Provider Identifier on days when that dentist was not in the country.
The brothers were also implicated in a visa fraud scheme related to the H-1B program, where they submitted false applications to bring foreign workers, primarily from India, into the US, coercing some to return portions of their wages or pay extra fees as kickbacks.
The H-1B visa program allows US companies to temporarily hire foreign workers for specialized roles.
Moreover, the group was involved in a money laundering operation, transferring funds through a complicated network of bank accounts associated with shell companies, and committed tax and wire fraud by misrepresenting personal expenses as business costs and neglecting to report substantial income.
Prosecutors also claimed that the brothers used dental implants labeled 'Not For Human Use', which lacked approval from US regulators, and implanted them in patients without their knowledge or consent.
Bhaskar Savani, who is trained as a dentist, was convicted of racketeering conspiracy, visa fraud, healthcare fraud, money laundering, tax violations, and conspiracy to breach federal drug and medical device regulations. Arun Savani faced similar charges.
The maximum sentences for the brothers are 420 years for Bhaskar and 415 years for Arun.
Sentencing is set to take place in July at a federal court in Pennsylvania.