Indian Migrants Guilty of Multistate Taxpayer, Visa, Healthcare Fraud
The Bhaskar brothers, Niranjan and Arun Savani and several of their associates were convicted in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, of massive malpractice, racketeering and Medicaid fraud, as well as immigration fraud.
The convictions conclude a lengthy fraud investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against the Savani Group, which is made up of dental facilities in several states.
Prosecutors said the dental providers defrauded millions of patients and the government in coordinated schemes involving federal health programs, immigration records and money trails to conceal fraudulently awarded government funding.
The Savani brothers and their associates, Aleksandra Radomiak, Sunil Philip, Amen Dhyllon, Vivek Savani, Jon Julian and five others were indicted in January 2023 and charged with various forms of fraud, conspiracy, Medicaid billing fraud and health care fraud.
Prosecutors said the Savani Group used its network to constantly open and rename clinics and offices to hide fraudulent records, billings and transactions.
The process allowed the company to continue billing government health programs while transferring patient names from multiple offices.
“As proven at trial, brothers Bhaskar Savani and Arun Savani built a complex criminal enterprise (the ‘Savani Group’) that amassed millions of dollars through multiple fraudulent schemes. Defendant Bhaskar Savani was a dentist by training. Defendant Arun Savani generally controlled the Savani Group’s finances. Through their criminal enterprise, Bhaskar and Arun Savani orchestrated long-term schemes to enrich himself,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania said. note.
“This sprawling investigation and prosecution meant untangling a complex web of fraudulent billing practices and phony medical entities,” said U.S. Attorney David Metcalf. “Our office worked with numerous state and federal partner agencies to unravel and prove the multiple health care fraud schemes at the heart of this operation. It is gratifying to dismantle this dishonest enterprise and hold those responsible accountable. Fraud and abuse cost U.S. taxpayers billions of dollars annually and deprive the health care system of vital resources.”
The case also involved the sale of sometimes mislabeled experimental dental devices, particularly implants labeled “not for human use” that were still implanted in human patients.
The Savanis were also accused of immigration violations by filing false H-1B visa applications to recruit compliant, cheap workers from their home country in India. This visa fraud allowed the brothers to avoid hiring professional American dentists who likely would have blocked the fraud years ago.
“Visa fraud undermines our legal immigration system and often victimizes those seeking legitimate opportunities in the United States,” said Anthony Tortora, resident agent in charge at the DSS Philadelphia Resident Office. “The Diplomatic Security Service is committed to investigating these schemes and protecting the integrity of the visa process. This conviction sends a clear message that such fraud will not be tolerated.”
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