According to Jim Sams of Insurance Journal and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, thirteen individuals have officially been charged in two indictments for their alleged roles in a $100 million auto insurance fraud scam which involved bribing 911 operators among others to obtain motor vehicle accident records and direct patients to corrupt doctors. Of those thirteen individuals, one is a New York City police officer, one is an attorney, and four are physicians.
Here is a list of the thirteen individuals and their alleged involvement:
1. Bradley Pierre
“Prosecutors say a fraud ring headed by Bradley Pierre took $70 million from no-fault insurers in a scam dating back to 2008. Pierre allegedly spearheaded the scheme out of the law office of an unidentified family member who paid $4 million for accident-victim referrals.
The indictment says Pierre controlled five ‘no-fault facilities’ that were ostensibly owned by licensed physicians.
A Linkedin page in the name of Bradley Pierre says he is owner of Medical Reimbursem*nt Consultants Inc. in New York. A business in that name was first registered in Nassau County in 2008, which is when prosecutors say the fraud scheme began.”
2. Marvin Moy
“Moy is a doctor licensed by New Jersey who practices in New York City, according to state records. He allegedly conducted 'unnecessary and painful' electrodiagnostic testing on patients.”
3. William Weiner
“Weiner is a doctor of osteopathic medicine licensed by New York who practices in East Rockaway. He falsified findings of injuries in magnetic-resonance imaging scans to boost patient referrals, according to the indictment.”
4. Arthur Bogoraz
Bogoraz is a paralegal and manager at a personal injury law firm in New York City who, in conjunction with a “runner” (named next), bribed 911 operators for patient/client referrals to the law firms and Pierre’s clinics.
5. Andrew Prime
The aforementioned “runner,” also bribed 911 operators for patient/client referrals to the law firms and Pierre’s clinics.
6. Alexander Gulkarov, AKA “Little Alex”
Gulkarov is accused of “fraudulently owning and controlling more than a dozen medical professional organizations. The scheme allegedly took $30 million from insurers since 2014.”
7. Robert Wisnicki
Wisnicki, an attorney and “the founding partner of two New York-based law firms, is accused of laundering part of the proceeds of Gulkarov’s scheme. He concealed money transfers by fabricating retainer agreements, lied to law enforcement and committed perjury before a federal grand jury, the indictment alleges.”
8. Roman Israilov
Israilov is one of two other individuals who “are accused of working with Gulkarov to operate the fraud scheme. They allegedly bribed 911 operators, hospital workers and others for motor vehicle accident victim information. Runners contacted the victims and lied to persuade them to seek treatment at clinics that Gukarov and his partners controlled, the indictment says.”
9. Peter Khaimov
Khaimov is one of two other individuals who “are accused of working with Gulkarov to operate the fraud scheme. They allegedly bribed 911 operators, hospital workers and others for motor vehicle accident victim information. Runners contacted the victims and lied to persuade them to seek treatment at clinics that Gukarov and his partners controlled, the indictment says.”
10. Anthony DiPietro
DiPietro is one of two other individuals who “are accused of working with Gulkarov to operate the fraud scheme. They allegedly bribed 911 operators, hospital workers and others for motor vehicle accident victim information. Runners contacted the victims and lied to persuade them to seek treatment at clinics that Gukarov and his partners controlled, the indictment says.”
11. Albert Aronov
Aronov is a New York City police officer “accused of logging into NYPD computers during off hours to search for confidential accident reports. He took photos of the records and used a pre-paid ‘burner’ phone to transmit them using an encrypted messaging application, the indictment says.”
12. Dr. Rolando Chumaceiro
Chumaceiro and another physician (named next) are listed as co-conspirators, who “allegedly prescribed unnecessary and excessive medical treatments and overbilled insurance carriers.”
13. Dr. Marcelo Quiroga
Quiroga is listed as a co-conspirator with Chumaceiro, who “allegedly prescribed unnecessary and excessive medical treatments and overbilled insurance carriers.”
According to Sams, Damian Williams, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, stated that this “is one of the largest no-fault insurance fraud takedowns in history, one that his office started investigating in 2017.”
All are presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of law.
