Crispin Abarientos, Medicaid Defraud, Connecticut 2019

A Middletown, Connecticut rheumatologist has admitted to defrauding the Medicaid program out of nearly $900,000.

Crispin Abarientos, 44, pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud in federal court in Hartford, Connecticut on an unspecified date in 2019.

According to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Abarientos submitted false claims to Medicaid for the delivery of Remicade, a medication used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, to his patients. However, he did not actually provide the medication to these patients.

Instead, Abarientos obtained approximately $894,789 worth of Remicade and used it to treat patients with Medicare or commercial insurance. He then submitted claims to these insurers for reimbursement, keeping the profits for himself.

Abarientos attempted to cover up the scheme by submitting falsified documents to investigators.

He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant on October 30, 2019, and faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ct/pr/middletown-rheumatologist-admits-defrauding-medicaid-program