Medicare patient Manishkumar Patel, who resides in Pelham Manor, has pleaded guilty to health care fraud, wire fraud, and violating the anti-kickback statute. Over a three-year period from 2019 to 2022, Patel and his accomplice obtained prescription details from call centers, set up virtual appointments with Medicare patients, and had a physician approve fake prescriptions without physically examining the individuals. The resulting medications were then allegedly distributed to Medicare providers, leading to losses totaling nearly $50 million.
In exchange for his guilty plea, Patel has been ordered to repay over $48 million to the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and surrender more than $6 million. If convicted on all charges, he could face a maximum prison sentence of five years for each offense.