Two men of Indian origin have been convicted of running a multi-state criminal enterprise involving healthcare fraud, visa fraud, money laundering and tax offences in the United States, said the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Monday.
Bhaskar Savani, 60, and Arun Savani, 58, are facing more than 400 years in jail.
On March 9, the brothers were found guilty in Pennsylvania of operating a long-running “racketeering conspiracy” through their organisation, the Savani Group.
Their associate, Aleksandra Radomiak, was also convicted in the case and faces up to 40 years in prison, said the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
According to the US Department of Justice, the brothers built a network of companies and dental practices over more than a decade and “amassed millions of dollars through multiple fraud schemes”.
Prosecutors said the group defrauded the Medicaid programme of more than $30 million by continuing to submit claims through nominee business owners after their practices had lost eligibility.
Medicaid is a government-funded health insurance programme in the US that provides free or low-cost medical care to people with low incomes. It is jointly funded by the federal government and individual states.
They also billed for procedures carried out by uncredentialed dentists and used another dentist’s National Provider Identifier on dates when that individual was outside the US.
The brothers were also found guilty of running a visa fraud scheme involving the H-1B programme. The authorities said they filed false applications to bring foreign workers, mostly from India, into the US and forced some to return part of their wages or pay additional fees as kickbacks.
H-1B visas allow companies in the US to temporarily employ foreign workers for special occupations.
Prosecutors said the group also ran a money laundering scheme, moving funds through a “complex web” of bank accounts linked to shell companies, and committed tax and wire fraud by disguising personal expenses as business costs and failing to report significant income.
They also alleged that the brothers used dental implants labelled “Not For Human Use”, which were not approved by US regulators. These were implanted in patients without their knowledge or consent, added the prosecutors.
Bhaskar Savani, a dentist by training, was convicted ofor racketeering conspiracy, visa fraud, healthcare fraud, money laundering, tax offences and conspiracy to violate federal drug and medical device laws. Arun Savani was convicted on similar charges.
The brothers face maximum sentences of 420 years and 415 years, respectively.
Sentencing in the matter is scheduled for July in a federal court in Pennsylvania.
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