STATEWIDE – A Hoboken resident was one of 14 medical professionals arrested Tuesday morning and accused of allegedly taking cash to refer patients to an Orange medical testing facility, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s office.
According to the release, more than 65 federal and local agents and officers led by Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General arrested 13 doctors and one nurse to whom Orange Community MRI (OCM) allegedly paid cash kickback payments in exchange for the referral of Medicare and Medicaid patients to OCM for testing services.
OCM’s executive director was arrested on Dec. 8 in connection with the scheme, the release says. He was released on a $750,000 bond.
Maryam Jafari, 41, a Newark-based licensed physician and Hoboken resident, allegedly took cash payments from the OCM in exchange providing the facility with referrals, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.
A criminal complaint states that on or about Nov. 22, Jafari met with a cooperating witness at her Newark office, where she allegedly accepted a white envelope containing $1,965 in cash, which supposedly included payments for 13 MRI referrals to OCM performed on Medicare or Medicaid beneficiaries, as well as 5 CAT scans referred to OCM during September and October 2011. In a later meeting, on Dec. 6, Jafari allegedly accepted $420 in cash from the cooperating witness for earlier referrals, according to the document.
“Selling test referrals for cash is illegal,” said U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman, in the release. “Patients have every right to expect their doctors will recommend medical service providers because they do the best job, not because they provide the best bribes.”
Jafari, as well as the rest of the health practitioner defendants, is charged with one count of violating the federal health care program anti-kickback statute by allegedly soliciting and receiving bribes, which carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, according to the complaint.
All of the defendants were expected to appear in Newark federal court on Tuesday afternoon. – Ray Smith