Fed fraud rap for shrinks
8 therapists busted for bogus billing
Eight therapists were charged with stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars through fraudulent billings for therapeutic services they claimed to have provided for developmentally disabled children, a federal prosecutor announced Thursday.
The therapists, including two who are employed by the city’s Department of Education, never provided any of the sessions, according to a criminal complaint filed in Brooklyn Federal Court.
In some cases, the therapists forged the names of the children’s guardians or parents on documentation, authorities allege. At other times, the therapists were actually out of the state when they said the therapy sessions were occurring.
Therapist Lyubov Beylina, who goes by Luba Franco on Facebook, posted a photo of herself holding an iguana in the Dominican Republic at the same time she claimed she was in New York conducting therapy sessions for kids, the complaint shows.
All told, she submitted about 51 bogus invoices for New York Early Intervention Program sessions that happened when she was out of town, prosecutors charge.
“She’s innocent until proven guilty,” said her lawyer, Terrance Montgomery.
Some of the therapists lied about sessions “for two different children at two different locations at the exact same time,” the press release announcing the arrests said.
The alleged theft happened between approximately 2012 and 2018.
The names of those charged are: Kaderrah Doyle, 41; Cara Steinberg, 40; Marina Golfo, 44; Ego Onaga, 45; Danielle Scopinich, 35; Patricia Hakim, 54; and Enock Mensah, 58.
If convicted of the most serious charge, they face up to 10 years in prison.
They were all arraigned in federal court on Thursday afternoon and released on bonds ranging from $100,000 to $150,000.
“I’m going to sue you,” Hakim fumed at a photographer.
Family members in court declined to comment.
“The victims of this fraud include not only the children and their families who were deprived of the therapeutic care that these defendants claimed to have performed, but ultimately the taxpayers whose taxes support Medicaid,” said U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District Richard Donoghue.
Authorities hope the arrests deters others.
“Today’s arrests should serve as a reminder that the FBI will continue to be vigilant in our effort to root out fraud and abuse in programs intended to serve the public when these programs are corrupted by greed,” said William Sweeney, FBI assistant director-in-charge of the New York field office.