A New York-based businessman admitted his role in a healthcare fraud and illegal kickback conspiracy. Mansinh Chaudhari, aka “Monsi Koova,” 55, of Illinois, pleaded guilty to an information charging him with conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and conspiracy to violate the Federal Anti-Kickback statute. According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court: Chaudhari owned, operated, and had a financial interest in a New York-based consulting company that purchased information associated with prospective Medicare beneficiaries amounting to a guarantee that Medicare would reimburse the purchase of COVID-19 tests. Chaudhari then sold beneficiary information to medical providers in New Jersey, Tennessee, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, and elsewhere, so the medical providers could use that information to submit or cause the submission to Medicare of claims for up to eight OTC COVID-19 tests per month that beneficiaries did not need and had not ordered. Chaudhari and the medical providers attempted to conceal their arrangements by entering into sham agreements. He also issued fraudulent invoices to the medical providers that solicited payment for marketing, consulting, or fulfillment. In total, Chaudhari and his conspirators caused a loss to Medicare of more than $5.3 million.
