A federal jury convicted Olga Popovych, a New York clinic manager, for her role in an $8 million Medicare fraud scheme, according to the DOJ.
Prosecutors said Popovych managed several physical therapy clinics that paid cash kickbacks to ambulette drivers who brought Medicare patients to the clinics. The DOJ said she was personally involved in paying the kickbacks and falsifying medical records to claim that physical therapists treated patients when they were not actually present.
Between 2018 and 2020, Medicare paid the clinics more than $8 million. Trial witnesses also testified that Popovych used coded text messages to discuss kickbacks and took steps to conceal the scheme after suspecting law enforcement was watching the clinics.
The jury convicted Popovych of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, conspiracy to make false statements relating to health care matters, four counts of health care fraud, and three counts of making false statements relating to health care matters.
She faces up to 10 years for each health care fraud conviction and up to 5 years for each false-statement conviction. A federal judge will determine the sentence under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by HHS-OIG and the FBI.
Anyone with inside knowledge of kickback arrangements, false billing, fabricated medical records, or patient-recruitment schemes involving federal health care programs may have information relevant to public-fraud enforcement.
Find Corporate Waste protects confidential sources and helps preserve the right to report fraud.
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