Florida man who worked with Monmouth pair indicted on Medicare fraud
NEWARK - A Florida man was charged in an indictment unsealed this week for his role in a Medicare fraud scheme that involved a partnership with two co-conspirators from Monmouth County and caused $97 million in losses, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey announced.
Raheel Naviwala, 35, of Coral Springs, Florida, is charged with 10 counts of health care and wire fraud. According to statements and documents filed in court, Naviwala and his conspirators owned and operated multiple call centers through which they obtained doctors’ orders for orthotic braces for Medicare beneficiaries who didn’t need them.
Four other individuals partnered with Naviwala in this fraud scheme, including two Monmouth County residents who were not charged in this indictment, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Aaron Williamsky, of Marlboro and Nadia Levit, of Englishtown owned at least 20 durable medical equipment supply companies located in or around New Jersey. The other two partners were Charles Burruss and Armani Adams of California, according to the indictment, which did not charge them either.
See a full copy of the indictment at the bottom of this story.
The original New Jersey charges: Health care fraud investigation nabs Toms River doctor, medical equipment company owners
Since at least February 2015, Williamsky and Levit bought medical supply companies to fraudulently bill health care benefit programs for orthotic braces for patients who didn’t need them or who never requested them, according to the Naviwala indictment. They also bribed doctors to get orthotic braces prescriptions for Medicare beneficiaries, the indictment says.
To avoid getting caught, Levit and Williamsky orchestrated a scheme involving convoluted transactions through all of the companies they owned to circumvent auditors, the indictment claims. They also hid their involvement in the companies that they owned by using false nominee owners, it says.
Together, Levit's and Williamsky's actions caused losses in excess of $290 million. They both pleaded guilty in 2019, unleashing a domino effect that is now bringing before authorities the names of those involved.
According to Naviwala’s indictment, his Florida companies would help Levit and Williamsky obtain fraudulent medical orders for durable medical equipment using call centers and telemedicine companies.
Court news: Colts Neck tennis pro, doing time for molestation, riles judge during plea in $75K+ fraud
Conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud is punishable by a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Each count of health care and wire fraud is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 10 and 20 years in prison, respectively. While conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud is punishable by a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Naviwala indictment by Dennis Carmody on Scribd
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Florida man indicted for $97M Medicare fraud, conspiring with NJ pair
