Silicon Valley's Indian-American Operator of Home Health Care Biz Charged with Medicare Fraud
Federal prosecutors in Silicon Valley have filed fraud charges against 30 defendants in a patients-for-cash kickback scheme. Indian-American CEO Ridhima "Amanda" Singh of Amity Home Health and Indian-American Bhupinder Bhandari are among the key defendants charged in the case. Pakistani-American Dr. Mariam Hasan, a graduate of Karachi's Dow Medical College, has also been charged. In addition to South Asians, the accused come from many different national origins, according to media reports.
Ridhima Singh, daughter of Dr. Rajiv Ahuja of Fremont, funneled $8 million in bribes — in Warriors tickets, Louis Vuitton bags, and “literal envelopes of cash” — to doctors, nurses, social workers and marketers in the South and East Bay who sent patients to the company, said David Anderson, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California. Those new patients brought $115 million in Medicare funds for Amity and a related corporation, Advent Care.
Here's the full list of individuals and companies changed in the scheme:
Defendant Role Age/Residence Case Number
AMITY HEALTH CARE Home Health Care Provider 19-71440 ADVENT CARE, INC. Hospice Care Provider 19-71459
SINGH, AMANDA CEO of Amity 33, Livermore 19-71430
ADDISON, BRENDA Amity employee 49, Oakland 19-71431
BHANDARI, BHUPINDER Doctor 59, Pleasanton 19-71441
DEGUZMAN, MERVINA Nurse/Case Manager 41, San Jose 19-71447
HICKS, KIMBERLY Doctor 59, Oakland 19-71451
KABANSKAYA, YELENA Doctor 39, San Jose 19-71452
MYINT, GERALD Doctor 68, Union City 19-71448
NGUYEN, TAM Doctor 44, San Jose 19-71453
POSADA, JUAN Doctor 58, Cupertino 19-71449
SCZENDZINA, EWELINA Marketer 42, Gilroy 19-71434
TAYLOR, SCOTT Doctor 61, Oakland 19-71455
WATSON, HENRY Doctor 63, Oakland 19-71423
ZHANG, ZHENG Doctor 62, Saratoga 19-71457
SANTOS, GLENNDA Marketer 47, Castro Valley 19-71433
MANCUSO, APRIL Doctor 38, Los Gatos 19-71445
REYNOLDS, KERISIMASI Doctor 37, Los Gatos 19-71446
CARIAGA, CATHERINE Nurse/Case Manager 31, Fremont 19-71458
TIRONA, TERENCE Nurse/Case Manager 33, Hayward 19-71454
DEL ROSARIO, SAL Case Manager 44, San Jose 19-71456
GAY, ANDRE NICOLAS Doctor 39, Union City 19-71460
HASAN, MARIAM Doctor 37, Milpitas 19-71450
ROY, BELINDA Nurse/Case Manager 59, Fremont 19-71443
SUNO, NICOLE Marketer 38, San Leandro 19-71421
TEODORO, STELLA Nurse/Case Manager 37, Union City 19-71444
TACORDA, HILDA Marketer 40, Hayward 19-71432 PINA,
REBECCA Marketer 38, Redwood City 19-71442
SINGH, VINEETA Social Worker 42, Hayward 19-71422
PRESCOTT, CAROLINE Marketing Director 53, San Ramon 19-71420
Ridhima Singh pushed associates to get her more patient referrals. “It’s been so many years and i know you are aware of what the expectations are,” she texted one associate in November 2018, according to the prosecutors. “I’m not here to fight I’m pretty clear cut and u know that. I’m drama free but things can get to my nerve when I don’t see the mutual understanding.”
The suspects face a maximum of 10 years in prison and $500,000 if they are found guilty.
Judge Joseph C Spero released the defendants on bail. He urged them not to violate the terms of their bonds. He also said that the case may not reach a conclusion for years. He told Ridhima Singh: “A complicated case like this could take years and you don’t want to be sitting in a jail cell.”
Back in 2014, Pakistani-American cardiologist Dr. Asad Qamar, the second highest Medicare biller in America at the time, was investigated by US Department of Health and Human Services for unnecessary surgeries and over-billing. He settled with the Department by agreeing to pay $2 million and release any claim to $5.3 million in suspended Medicare funds.
Related Links:
Haq's Musings
South Asia Investor Review
Pakistan 3rd Largest Source of Foreign Doctors in America
Silicon Valley Pakistani-Americans
History of South Asians in America
Pakistani-American Cardiologist Investigated by US Dept of Health
Silicon Valley Indian-American Congressman Joins Pakistan Caucus
Riaz Haq Youtube Channel
VPOS Youtube Channel
Here's the full list of individuals and companies changed in the scheme:
Defendant Role Age/Residence Case Number
AMITY HEALTH CARE Home Health Care Provider 19-71440 ADVENT CARE, INC. Hospice Care Provider 19-71459
SINGH, AMANDA CEO of Amity 33, Livermore 19-71430
ADDISON, BRENDA Amity employee 49, Oakland 19-71431
BHANDARI, BHUPINDER Doctor 59, Pleasanton 19-71441
DEGUZMAN, MERVINA Nurse/Case Manager 41, San Jose 19-71447
HICKS, KIMBERLY Doctor 59, Oakland 19-71451
KABANSKAYA, YELENA Doctor 39, San Jose 19-71452
MYINT, GERALD Doctor 68, Union City 19-71448
NGUYEN, TAM Doctor 44, San Jose 19-71453
POSADA, JUAN Doctor 58, Cupertino 19-71449
SCZENDZINA, EWELINA Marketer 42, Gilroy 19-71434
TAYLOR, SCOTT Doctor 61, Oakland 19-71455
WATSON, HENRY Doctor 63, Oakland 19-71423
ZHANG, ZHENG Doctor 62, Saratoga 19-71457
SANTOS, GLENNDA Marketer 47, Castro Valley 19-71433
MANCUSO, APRIL Doctor 38, Los Gatos 19-71445
REYNOLDS, KERISIMASI Doctor 37, Los Gatos 19-71446
CARIAGA, CATHERINE Nurse/Case Manager 31, Fremont 19-71458
TIRONA, TERENCE Nurse/Case Manager 33, Hayward 19-71454
DEL ROSARIO, SAL Case Manager 44, San Jose 19-71456
GAY, ANDRE NICOLAS Doctor 39, Union City 19-71460
HASAN, MARIAM Doctor 37, Milpitas 19-71450
ROY, BELINDA Nurse/Case Manager 59, Fremont 19-71443
SUNO, NICOLE Marketer 38, San Leandro 19-71421
TEODORO, STELLA Nurse/Case Manager 37, Union City 19-71444
TACORDA, HILDA Marketer 40, Hayward 19-71432 PINA,
REBECCA Marketer 38, Redwood City 19-71442
SINGH, VINEETA Social Worker 42, Hayward 19-71422
PRESCOTT, CAROLINE Marketing Director 53, San Ramon 19-71420
Ridhima Singh pushed associates to get her more patient referrals. “It’s been so many years and i know you are aware of what the expectations are,” she texted one associate in November 2018, according to the prosecutors. “I’m not here to fight I’m pretty clear cut and u know that. I’m drama free but things can get to my nerve when I don’t see the mutual understanding.”
The suspects face a maximum of 10 years in prison and $500,000 if they are found guilty.
Judge Joseph C Spero released the defendants on bail. He urged them not to violate the terms of their bonds. He also said that the case may not reach a conclusion for years. He told Ridhima Singh: “A complicated case like this could take years and you don’t want to be sitting in a jail cell.”
Back in 2014, Pakistani-American cardiologist Dr. Asad Qamar, the second highest Medicare biller in America at the time, was investigated by US Department of Health and Human Services for unnecessary surgeries and over-billing. He settled with the Department by agreeing to pay $2 million and release any claim to $5.3 million in suspended Medicare funds.
Related Links:
Haq's Musings
South Asia Investor Review
Pakistan 3rd Largest Source of Foreign Doctors in America
Silicon Valley Pakistani-Americans
History of South Asians in America
Pakistani-American Cardiologist Investigated by US Dept of Health
Silicon Valley Indian-American Congressman Joins Pakistan Caucus
Riaz Haq Youtube Channel
VPOS Youtube Channel
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https://www.ndtv.com/indians-abroad/indian-origin-man-neil-chandran-arrested-in-us-for-alleged-45-million-investment-fraud-3117176
Neil Chandran, of Las Vegas in Nevada, was arrested on Wednesday in Los Angeles, the Department of Justice said.
According to the indictment, Mr Chandran owned a group of technology companies that he used in a scheme to defraud investors by falsely promising extremely high returns on the premise that one or more of his companies, operated under the banner of "ViRSE," was about to be acquired by a consortium of wealthy buyers.
Mr Chandran's companies -- which included Free Vi Lab, Studio Vi Inc., ViDelivery Inc, ViMarket Inc, and Skalex USA Inc, among others -- developed virtual-world technologies, including their own cryptocurrency, for use in the companies' own metaverse.
The indictment alleges that Mr Chandran caused other individuals to make various materially false and misleading representations to investors, including that investors in his companies would soon receive extremely high returns when one or more of those companies was purchased by a group of wealthy buyers.
In fact, according to the indictment, there was no such buyer group that was about to purchase the companies for the claimed returns; a substantial portion of the funds was misappropriated for other business ventures and the personal benefit of Mr Chandran and others, including the purchase of luxury cars and real estate; and there were no prominent billionaires involved in purchasing Mr Chandran's companies.
https://www.deccanherald.com/national/americans-duped-into-losing-10-billion-by-illegal-indian-call-centres-in-2022-report-1175156.html @deccanherald
After several incidents were reported in 2022, the FBI has now deputed a permanent representative at the US embassy in New Delhi. The representative will work closely with the CBI, Interpol and the Delhi Police to bust these gangs that have put India under the threat to be termed as the hub of such illegal call centres.
Americans lost a total of $10.2 billion in 2022 so far, which is a 47 per cent increase from 2021’s $6.9 billion, to such fraud calls. FBI’s South Asia head Suhel Daud told the publication that "romance-related" frauds reported were worth Rs 8,000 crore in 2021 and Rs 8,000 crore in the last 11 months of 2022. Losses due to "tech support" crimes were as much as $3 billion in the last two years – $347 million in 2021 and $781 million in 2022 so far.
“It may not be a national security concern yet, but the reputation (of a country) is involved, and we don’t want India to suffer on that count,” Daud told the publication. He also noted that the FBI’s website has registered 8.5 lakh complaints in 2021 and over 7.8 lakh complaints so far in 2022 in regard to internet crimes. Those complaints included cyber crime related to investment ($3 billion), business email compromise ($2.4 billion), personal data breach ($1.2 billion), romance($1 billion) and tech support ($781 million).
https://www.moneylife.in/article/prateek-gupta-the-big-indian-defaulter-behind-a-500-million-international-commodities-fraud/70001.html
We take great pride in the fact that many successful Indians are occupying corner offices at the world’s largest and most powerful corporate houses and every action of theirs makes news in India. The flip side is that people of Indian origin will also hit the headlines for zip and enterprise of another kind—for gigantic fraud, running mega scams and even market manipulation. These stories are buried in tiny reports and rarely make it to front pages or television debates.
For instance, how many of us remember that the ‘Flash Crash’ of 6 May 2010, which wiped out a trillion dollars in five minutes, was the handiwork of a young, reclusive Indian called Navinder Singh Sarao, trading alone out of west London. Those who want to know the fascinating details should read Flash Crash by Liam Vaughan who describes the global manhunt to catch Sarao, characterised as a ‘trading savant’.
Another Indian who is making news abroad, but doesn’t figure on our media channels, is Prateek Gupta of Ushdev International Ltd, despite his history of cheating several banks in India. He has recently acquired the dubious cred of having cheated Trafigura, a global commodities trading giant, of a whopping US$577mn (million) in a nickel deal. This is when his admitted dues to Indian banks were over Rs3,500 crore and total liabilities around Rs4,205 crore. He was being investigated by the central bureau of investigation (CBI).
So what is Prateek Gupta’s story? Let’s start with why he is in the news today.
Trafigura Scammed of US$500 Million
On 9th February, the global commodity trading giant Trafigura group Pte issued a press release which said it had “discovered a systematic fraud committed by a group of companies” to the tune of US$577mn by companies controlled by Prateek Gupta, in connection with a deal to purchase about 25,000 tonnes of ‘containerised nickel’. Trafigura had entered into a ‘transit finance’ deal, or what would be called a ready-forward deal, where it would buy nickel from companies connected to Mr Gupta and sell them back to the same companies in future at a higher price that covers interest cost.
Sometime after October 2022, Trafigura inspected eight shipping containers and found that they did not contain nickel or even nickel alloy. As it expanded its inspection to a few hundred containers (out of over 1,100 covered by the deal), it discovered more of the same. Instead of nickel or nickel alloy, whose prices have been shooting up since the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the containers contained carbon steel, whose value is a fraction that of nickel.
The Trafigura group, which operates across commodity businesses, employs 12,000 people across 156 countries, rushed to court in February and obtained a ‘worldwide freezing order’ of US$625mn against Mr Gupta and his companies, led by TMT Metals Holdings Ltd based in London. The London high court order restrained individuals and businesses from dealing with Mr Gupta’s assets anywhere in the world. It is open to challenge by the Gupta group and the hearings will commence soon. Reports in the international media suggest that Trafigura has had a legitimate business relationship with Mr Gupta’s companies since 2015.
Prior to this, Mr Gupta has inflicted even greater losses on Indian public sector banks (PSBs). It would seem that he was building his international commodity businesses through money diverted from the Indian company. He bought TMT Metals AG, a trading firm, in 2016. He also has companies in Singapore, Malaysia and Switzerland.
Probe found Ranga Dias manipulated data, including in a paper claiming the discovery of a room-temperature superconductor
https://www.wsj.com/science/university-rochester-ranga-dias-superconductor-misconduct-aa2f9fd4?st=GoDu5D&reflink=article_email_share
The president of the University of Rochester has recommended firing Ranga Dias, a star faculty member who claimed to have discovered a room-temperature superconductor, for research misconduct.
Rochester President Sarah Mangelsdorf made her recommendation in an August letter addressed to the chair and vice chair of the Rochester Board of Trustees. The Wall Street Journal has seen the letter.
“Please accept this as my recommendation that the Board of Trustees act to abrogate the contract of Dr. Ranga Dias as a faculty member of the University to include immediate termination of his employment,” she wrote.
As of Monday, Dias still holds appointments at the physics and mechanical-engineering departments, but no longer teaches classes or supervises students. A spokesperson for the Rochester, N.Y., university declined to comment on when, or if, the board would act on Mangelsdorf’s recommendation.
Dias’s bold scientific claims about the discovery of new superconductors—rare materials that pass electrical current without loss of energy—drew worldwide media coverage amid persistent allegations from his peers that he had manipulated data and plagiarized material.
A university investigation into his work completed in February found that he manipulated data in four studies, including in a blockbuster paper published in March 2023 in the journal Nature—and retracted a year ago—that claimed the discovery of a room-temperature superconductor. The investigation also found that Dias plagiarized material in a grant proposal to the National Science Foundation for nearly $795,000.
At least five papers in which he is a senior author have been retracted.
During the university’s monthslong investigation and subsequent internal review, Dias sued the university claiming the procedures were biased. A judge dismissed the case in April, stating it was premature for the court to weigh in while university actions, including a decision on Dias’s employment, were pending.
Dias didn’t respond to requests for comment. He has previously denied manipulating or misrepresenting data.
Dias joined the faculty at the University of Rochester in 2017, after a stint as a postdoctoral researcher at Harvard University. His new lab began publishing a string of papers on novel materials with unusual properties, including a potentially transformative superconductor.
Superconductors have the rare ability to conduct electrical current without losing energy. Materials known to do this require extremely low temperatures, extremely high pressures, or both—conditions that are expensive to maintain and scale. A material that behaves like a superconductor at ambient conditions could prompt a revolution in electronics and engineering.
https://thelogicalindian.com/apple-fires-185-telugu-speaking-employees-over-alleged-csr-scam/
Apple has terminated approximately 185 employees, predominantly Telugu-speaking, due to their alleged involvement in a fraudulent grants scheme linked to the company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme. The employees allegedly collaborated with certain Telugu associations in the US to misuse Apple’s Grant Programme, resulting in funds being funneled back to them after donations were matched by Apple. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is investigating the matter further, raising concerns about the integrity of non-profit organizations involved.
Fraudulent Scheme Uncovered
In a significant corporate scandal, Apple has dismissed 185 employees from its Bay Area office for their alleged participation in a fraudulent grants programme. These employees, primarily Telugu-speaking individuals, are accused of colluding with specific Telugu associations based in the United States to exploit Apple’s CSR initiatives. The scheme involved soliciting donations from employees under the guise of supporting non-profit organizations, which Apple would then match dollar-for-dollar as part of its commitment to community engagement.
Investigations revealed that these donations were manipulated, allowing funds to be redirected back to the employees after receiving matching contributions from Apple. An internal review by Apple’s Finance department led to the discovery of these irregularities, prompting a report to the IRS, which is now conducting an investigation into the matter.
Background on the Incident
This incident raises serious questions about the integrity of certain Telugu associations operating in the US and their role in this fraudulent activity. Reports indicate that these organizations regularly solicited donations from Telugu-speaking individuals within Apple’s workforce, exploiting the company’s CSR matching grants as part of a larger scheme. The fraudulent activities came to light when Apple’s Finance department identified discrepancies in donation records and alerted authorities. Following this revelation, Apple conducted an extensive internal audit that confirmed the misuse of its Grant Programme.
The implicated employees were reportedly given an ultimatum: resign due to alleged misconduct or face termination. This situation not only impacts the dismissed employees but also raises concerns about the accountability and transparency of non-profit organizations involved in the community.
Community Impact and Reactions
The fallout from this scandal extends beyond the terminated employees; it has sparked outrage and concern within both the tech community and among Telugu associations across the United States. Many are questioning how such a significant breach of trust could occur within a reputable company like Apple and what measures are in place to prevent similar incidents in the future.