Related Federal Cases
Rafael Chikvashvili, Health Care Fraud Resulting in Death, Maryland 2015
A federal grand jury has returned a superseding indictment against Rafael Chikvashvili, 67, of Baltimore, Maryland, adding four counts of health care fraud resulting in serious bodily harm and death, as well as conspiracy and wire fraud, related to a scheme to defraud Medicare and Medicaid of more than $7.5 million.
The superseding indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Nicholas DiGiulio, Office of Investigations, Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services; and Special Agent in Charge Stephen E. Vogt of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to the indictment, Chikvashvili formed Alpha Diagnostics Services, Inc., which later became Alpha Diagnostics, LLC, in 1993, and always acted as Managing Member, Authorized Official, Managing Employee, President and Chief Executive Officer for Alpha Diagnostics.
Alpha Diagnostics was a portable diagnostic services provider, principally of X-rays, but also provided ultrasound tests, and cardiologic examinations. Alpha Diagnostics operated in Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.
The 33-count superseding indictment alleges that beginning in 1997 through October 2013, Chikvashvili conspired with Timothy Emeigh and others to defraud Medicare and Medicaid by creating false radiology, ultrasound, and cardiologic interpretation reports; by submitting insurance claims for medical examination interpretations that were never completed by licensed physicians; by falsely representing to Medicare and Medicaid, as well as to treating physicians, that the interpretations had, in fact, been completed by actual licensed physicians; and by submitting insurance claims for radiology, ultrasound, and cardiologic examinations (and their associated costs) that were never performed, and/or which were in excess of the number of examinations ordered by the treating physician.
The superseding indictment alleges that four patients died because their x-rays were not interpreted by a qualified radiologist. Instead, Alpha Diagnostics employees reviewed the images and failed to detect congestive heart failure, pneumonia, and a large pelvic mass revealed in the images. The patients suffered serious complications, and ultimately died. Had those images been correctly interpreted by a licensed radiologist, the medical treatment for those patients would have been different and/or their surgery avoided.
Chikvashvili holds a PhD in mathematics, but was never a medical doctor or licensed physician. Timothy Emeigh was the Vice President in charge of Operations at Alpha Diagnostics. He was a licensed radiologic technologist.
Key Facts
- State: Maryland
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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