A New Jersey chiropractor has become the latest person to be charged in connection with a sweeping insurance fraud scheme.
Anthony Riotto of Park Ridge, N.J., has been charged with healthcare claims fraud in connection with the scam, in which car-accident victims were recruited as patients for chiropractic facilities in return for kickbacks. A dozen other people have already entered guilty pleas in connection with the scam, including a doctor, a lawyer, a paralegal, an acupuncturist and three other chiropractors.
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The ringleaders of the scam, brothers Anhuar and Karim Bandy, paid illegal “runners” to recruit victims, according to a report by NJ.com. They collected kickbacks for referring those victims to both medical and legal services. The brothers were each sentenced to more than six years in prison for orchestrating the scheme.
Riotto’s part of the scam was allegedly to cause phony claims to be sent to insurance carriers after referring patients to MLS Medical, a pain-management practice owned by another member of the fraud ring.
Authorities said Riotto didn’t mention he had a financial stake in the business when referring patients to MLS Medical.
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