Chintan Anjaria, $11.5M Health Care Fraud, New Jersey 2023

NEWARK, N.J. – In a shocking revelation, Chintan Anjaria, the owner of a marketing company in India, has pleaded guilty to his role in a massive $11.5 million health care fraud scheme. The scheme, which ran from February 2017 to May 2022, involved Anjaria conspiring with orthotic brace suppliers and telemedicine companies to submit false and fraudulent claims to Medicare.

According to documents filed in the case, Anjaria controlled a marketing company in India through which he and his conspirators identified Medicare beneficiaries to target for orthotic braces and cancer genetic tests (CGX). Employees of the company called beneficiaries and pressured them to agree to accept orthotic braces and/or CGX, regardless of medical necessity.

Anjaria and his company paid kickbacks to telemedicine companies to obtain doctor’s orders for the orthotic braces and CGX tests. Anjaria then steered the doctor’s orders to orthotic brace suppliers and testing laboratories located in the U.S., with which Anjaria and his company had additional kickback arrangements. The orthotic brace suppliers and laboratories submitted claims for reimbursement to Medicare, and thereafter sent a portion of the proceeds to Anjaria and his company as payment for the doctor’s orders generated through the conspiracy.

The conspiracy to commit health care fraud count is punishable by a maximum of 10 years in prison and the conspiracy to pay illegal kickbacks is punishable by a maximum of five years in prison. Both counts are also punishable by a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest.

Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, New York Regional Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz; U.S. Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Hegarty; and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher F. Algieri with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Garrett J. Schuman of the Health Care Fraud Unit, Senior Trial Counsel Barbara Ward of the Asset Recovery and Money Laundering Unit, and Trial Attorney Darren Halverson of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.

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