Politics & Government

Stamford Dentist Pleads Guilty To Medicaid Fraud Scheme That Netted $21 Million

Dr. Mehran Zamani faces up three years in prison; He's also agreed to forfeit $1.9 million in state reimbursements.

A dentist who worked at several practices around Connecticut — including ones in Stamford, Trumbull and West Haven — pleaded guilty in Hartford federal court Wednesday to a federal health care fraud offense stemming from an estimated $21 million Medicaid fraud scheme.

Connecticut U.S. Attorney Deirdre M. Daly announced that Dr. Mehran Zamani, 50, of Pound Ridge, N.Y., has pleaded guilty for his involvement in the Medicaid fraud scheme that began in the fall of 2008 when he was hired by another dentist who already was convicted of Medicaid fraud and barred from providing treatment to Medicaid patients.

Zamani pleaded guilty to one count of obstructing the administration of a federal health care program. He faces a maximum term of three-year prison term when he is sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant on July 6.

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The Medicaid program is a joint federal-state program that provides funds for medical services to lower-income individuals who qualify for benefits. The program is jointly administered by the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services and supervised by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. In Connecticut, the Medicaid program is administered by the Connecticut Department of Social Services.

According to court records, in the fall of 2008, Zamani was hired by Gary Anusavice to work as a dentist at Landmark Dental, a dental practice in West Haven that Anusavice had opened earlier in the year. At the time, Anusavice was a convicted felon, former dentist, and excluded Medicaid provider. Although Anusavice remained the primary decision maker for the business, Zamani became the dentist whose name and license were used as the front for the practice.

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In approximately January 2009, Zamani signed an application for Landmark Dental to become a Medicaid provider. The application failed to disclose that Anusavice had an ownership interest in Landmark Dental, that he was subject of prior disciplinary and criminal actions, and that he was excluded from the Medicaid program. Even though Zamani was aware of Anusavice’s disciplinary history, Zamani subsequently signed Medicaid provider applications for two other dental practices operated by Anusavice, Dental Group of Stamford and Dental Group of Connecticut in Trumbull. Both applications also failed to disclose Anusavice’s background and involvement in the practices.

Pursuant to these fraudulent provider applications, from approximately January 2009 to March 2011, Zamani submitted or caused to be submitted numerous claims to Connecticut Medicaid pursuant to which Medicaid reimbursement payments were made.

As a result of the scheme, the Connecticut Medicaid program reimbursed Anusavice’s dental practices nearly $21 million.

In March 2015, Zamani signed a settlement agreement that resolved pending civil matters with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the State of Connecticut, Office of the Attorney General. Related to this case, Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen announced on Wednesday that his office has filed a settlement of a civil suit brought against Zamani and 28 other individuals, dental practices and corporations involved in the scheme. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Zamani agreed to pay $200,000, forfeit a dental office he owned at 18 Madison St. in Hartford, and give up all rights to approximately $1.9 million in Medicaid reimbursements that had been suspended by the Connecticut Department of Social Services.

Zamani also agreed to be excluded from all federal health-care programs and as well as Connecticut’s Medical Assistance Program for 10 years.

On June 3, 2013, Anusavice pleaded guilty to health care fraud and tax evasion offenses stemming from his involvement in this scheme. On Oct. 9, 2013, he was sentenced to 97 months of imprisonment. He also was ordered to pay more than $5.2 million restitution, and back taxes of more than $1.8 million, plus applicable interest and penalties. He also forfeited his Rhode Island residence, a 33-foot yacht, a Mercedes Benz automobile and nearly $91,700 in cash.

Anusavice also has agreed to pay Connecticut $9.9 million, which represents treble damages under the Connecticut False Claims Act and restitution under the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act.

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Neither the Zamani settlement nor the Anusavice settlement resolves Connecticut’’s claims against the additional defendants – including David Wu of Cheshire and Alphonso Mack of Bloomfield, and Massachusetts residents Paul Anusavice of North Grafton, and John Gallagher of Manchester, MA. and the state’s civil lawsuit against them continues, according to Jepsen’s office.

When Jepsen announced his legal action in June 2012, the other accused practices, and other corporations created or controlled by the various individuals, included: E.G.A. Management, Inc., Haven Consulting, Inc. and AMZ Consulting, Inc., Dental Care of Connecticut, Inc., and N.B. Dental, Inc.; Electron Marketing, Inc. of Fall River, MA; Dental Group of Stamford, LLC and Dentists Group of Stamford, PC.

Also named were: Mehran Zamani, LLC, and Mehran Zamani, DDS, PC; Dental Group of Connecticut, LLC, and Dentists Group of Connecticut, PC; Dental Group of Waterbury, LLC, and Dentists Group of Waterbury, PC; Dental Group of Danbury, PC; Dental Group of New Britain, PC; Dental Group of Hartford, PC; Hartford Dental Care, LLC; Hartford Dental Incorporated, PC; Arbor Dental Association, LLC; Alpha Dental Group, PC; and Wintonbury Dental Associates, PC.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Connecticut Attorney General’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Susan Wines and Richard Molot are prosecuting the case.

U.S. Attorney Daly encourages anyone who suspects health care fraud to report it by calling the Health Care Fraud Task Force at 203-777-6311 or 1-800-HHS-TIPS.


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