TRENTON, N.J. – Another cog in the healthcare fraud machine confessed today. Amber Harris, 28, of Lake Ariel, Pennsylvania, admitted her role in a long-running scheme to bilk Medicare out of hundreds of thousands of dollars through fraudulent genetic testing referrals. U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced the guilty plea, signaling a potential unraveling of a wider network of corruption centered in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
Harris pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Anne E. Thompson to one count of conspiring to violate the anti-kickback statute. She’s the first to fall in a case that promises to expose more doctors and medical employees lining their pockets at the expense of taxpayer-funded healthcare. The feds are clearly building a case, and Harris is looking to cut her losses.
The scheme, operating at least since 2018, revolved around Dr. Yitzachok “Barry” Kurtzer and his wife, Robin Kurtzer, who allegedly accepted monthly cash kickbacks – sometimes reaching $5,000 – for collecting DNA samples from unsuspecting Medicare patients. These samples were then shipped to clinical laboratories in New Jersey and Pennsylvania for genetic tests, regardless of medical necessity. The Kurtzers initially accepted the dirty money hand-to-hand in their offices, but adapted to the times during the COVID-19 pandemic, switching to wire transfers and cell phone money transfer apps.
Harris wasn’t alone in facilitating the fraud. Another medical employee, Shanelyn Kennedy, also participated, collecting DNA swabs in exchange for her own cut of the kickbacks. Both Harris and Kennedy received payments in cash and through the same digital apps used by the Kurtzers. It’s a classic case of greed overriding ethics, and a betrayal of the public trust. The investigation points to a systematic effort to exploit the Medicare system for personal gain.
The fallout from this scheme is substantial. Medicare was defrauded of $755,241 for tests that were likely unnecessary and improperly ordered. Harris now faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss derived from the offense – whichever is greater. Her sentencing is scheduled for January 5, 2020. This should send a message to anyone considering similar scams: federal investigators are watching, and they will prosecute.
The investigation was a collaborative effort led by the FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigation, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. The FBI Scranton Field Office, FBI Philadelphia Division, and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office also provided assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua L. Haber of the Health Care Fraud Unit is handling the prosecution. Remember, the charges against the remaining defendants are merely accusations, and they are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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Key Facts
- State: New Jersey
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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