A New York man and owner of a marketing company, Eric Karlewicz (also known as “Anthony Mazza”), has confessed to his involvement in schemes related to healthcare fraud and illegal kickbacks. This announcement was made by the U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna.
Karlewicz, 44, from Chestnut Ridge, New York, entered a guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court. He admitted to conspiring to violate the Federal Anti-Kickback statute and conspiring to commit healthcare fraud.
The case documents and court statements reveal the following:
Between June 2017 and May 2019, Karlewicz collaborated with durable medical equipment (DME) companies, telemedicine firms, and physicians to submit fraudulent claims to healthcare benefit programs, including Medicare and TRICARE. They used a complex network of kickbacks and bribes. Karlewicz’s marketing company was instrumental in identifying Medicare and TRICARE beneficiaries for DME. The company’s employees pressured beneficiaries to accept DME, often including back, shoulder, and knee braces. They incentivized these employees with commissions and bonuses to convince beneficiaries to accept DME, regardless of medical necessity.
Karlewicz’s company then paid kickbacks to telemedicine companies, which, in turn, paid doctors to provide orders for the DME. These doctors often signed orders without speaking to the patients, regardless of medical necessity. Karlewicz and his business partner directed these orders to DME suppliers across the country, with whom they had additional kickback agreements. The DME companies then submitted reimbursement claims to healthcare benefit programs and shared a portion of the proceeds with Karlewicz’s company for the orders generated through the conspiracy. The company received over $63 million from DME suppliers in exchange for referrals.
In total, Karlewicz and his co-conspirators caused over $127 million in false and fraudulent claims to be submitted to healthcare benefit programs for DME. Karlewicz used the proceeds from this scheme to buy luxury vehicles, including a Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bentley, and BMW.
The kickback conspiracy charge carries a maximum prison sentence of five years, while the healthcare fraud conspiracy charge can lead to a maximum sentence of ten years. Both charges may result in a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greater. Sentencing is set for February 20, 2024.
The investigation leading to this guilty plea was carried out by the FBI, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine M. Romano and Senior Trial Counsel Barbara Ward are representing the government in this case.
By FCCT Editorial Team
, an independent military force, and allied militias in Sudan raped several dozen women and girls in West Darfur’s capital, El Geneina, and those fleeing to Chad between late April and late June 2023, Human Rights Watch said today. The assailants appear to have targeted people because of their Massalit ethnicity and, in some cases, because they were known activists.){kind=link}