Buffalo Grove doctor, chiropractor charged with fraud BUFFALO GROVE. IL A chiropractor and a physician with offices in Buffalo Grove, their billing manager and three purported patients are facing prison sentences have been indicted on federal charges alleging they played a part in a $2.98 million health care fraud scheme, authorities said Monday. According to the U.S. attorney's office, the defendants schemed over the course of a decade to obtain health insurance payments from various private insurers for patient services that were never end The chiropractor. Igor Shcr. and the physician. Egucrt Nagaj. operated North Suburban Chiropractic Clinic Ltd.. Advanced Arlington Medical Center Ltd.. and Advanced Arlington Sports Medicine Center Ltd.. at 329 and 333 West Dundee Road in Buffalo Grove. A third defendant Igor Filatov, was the billing manager for all three practices. The indictment also seeks forfeiture of approximately $2.98 million and four luxury automobiles from Slier. Nagaj .and Filatov, as well as five residences belonging to Shcr or Nagaj. or entities they controlled in Palatine. Vcrnon Hills, and Long Grove. Slier. 42. of Palatine. Nagaj. 48. of Buffalo Grove, and Filatov. 61. of Wheeling, face 16 counts of mail fraud, as well as one count of obstruction of justice against Shcr and one count of making false statements against Filatov. pp b a patient, 48. of Wheeling. Maricela Hernandez, 35. of Arlington Heights.and Vcra Smolyansky. 53. of Wheeling and others allowed their insurance information to be used by Slier and Nagaj to submit false claims for reimbursement, authorities allege. Konovolov. Hernandez and Smolyansky were each charged with one count of mail fraud and one count of perjury. Mail fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250.0(X) fine on each count. Tlic obstmction of justice count against Shcr carries a maximum of 20 years in prison. Tlic false statements and perjury counts earn a maximum of five years in prison, and each of those counts earn a maximum $250,000 fine Source: The Daily Herald Chiropractor Attacked By Former Employee Blackmail Township Chiropractor. His Office Maiiagcr Cliarged With Insurance Fraud for Billing 20 K in Hot Moist Packs That Were Never Applied JACKSON. MI - A Blackmail Township chiropractor and his office manager are facing insurance fraud cliarges for allegedly billing Blue Cross Blue Shield for sen ices that w ere not provided. a Michigan State Police detective said. Dr. Vcniic Cassity. 33. of Cassity Chiropractic Center. 2111 Wild-wood Avc.. is cliarged with conspiracy to defraud a health care insurer, making a false claim for payment of health care benefits, and intentionally falsifying medical records. His mother and office manager. Gloria Cassity. 66. is accused of the conspiracy cluirgc and the making false claim offense. The conspiracy charge, the most serious of tlic alleged crimes, is punishable bv a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $50.000 fine. State police arrested the two on Monday. March 4. and Jackson Count} District Judge R. Darryl Mazur arraigned them Tuesday afternoon. Vernic Cassity "s lawyer. James Burdick. said authorities made a mistake. "He hasn't done a tiling wrong." Burdick said of tlic doctor. Vcrnic Cassity aixl his mother, who works part-time for her soa have immaculate records and Vernie Cassity is "highly regarded" in the community, said Burdick. based in Bloomficld Hills. From early 2008 to March 2009. Cassity s office billed the insurance company for more than $20.000 in $ 12 hot packs for heat therapy sen ices, state police Detective Set. Lisa Gee-Cram said. It was not until March 2009 that the office even acquired tlic machine necessary to perform these sen ices. Gee-Cram said. Burdick said a chiropractor docs not have to use the machine to properly pro\ idc and bill fortlic sen ice. Using boiled rocks, heating pads and blankets also are acceptable, he said. "Tlicy got it wrong." The case centers on a dispute about how to bill items started by a disgruntled, fired employee w ho made a series of wild allegations, lie said. Gee-Cram said Blue Cross did an audit and determined Cassity w as billing them for sen ices they did not receive. Tlierc also liad been calls and complaints from Blue Cross subscribers. Gee-Cram said. The detective, using a search warrant, went to Cassity"s offices in 2011. "This tiling lias been going on for years." said Burdick. who previously dealt with a prosecutor who no longer works for the county office. Despite this, the chiropractic center continues to operate in "the normal course." lie said. Gee-Cram wrapped up her investigation in August 2011. "It's a very different sort of case. It involves a pretty different investigation." Prosecutor Jem Jarzynka. who took office in January 2012, said when asked about the delay in charging. "Tliat takes time." Gee-Cram suggested tlic prosecutor's office was waiting on the outcome of a similar, but unrelated case. Dr. John Sampson, who lias plastic surgery offices in Jackson and Okemos. was cliargcd with health care fraud. Blue Cross Blue Shield representatives went with police detectives in January 2010 to search Sampson's offices and Summit Township home and Sampson's lawyers argued in 2012 tlic private individuals" involvement w as unconstitutional. Circuit Judge Thomas Wilson ruled this was not tlic case and in May. Sampsons corporation pleaded no contest to a false pretenses offense. Insurance company officials also went with Gee-Cram when she searched Cassity "s office. Burdick called Cassity and his mother "really nice people."" "Tliesc arc two of maybe a single-digit number of totally innocent people I have represented over the years." Both Vernie and Gloria Cassity were released from jail Tuesday on $5,000 personal recognizance bonds. This means they pay nothing to remain free as long as they appear in court as ordered. Source: in live.com
