New York Criminal Lawyer Blog
Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced the arrest of eight more individuals in connection to the insurance fraud ring known as the “Levy Enterprise.” Seven of the people charged are hospital employees who allegedly obtained personal information of patients. The employees then sold this information or received bribes to share the information. The information was then allegedly used by third parties “to lure patients into receiving unnecessary treatment and then submit over a million dollars in phony personal injury claims to insurance carriers.” The eighth person, an attorney, is also alleged to have perpetrated this scheme.
According to the Attorney General:
“The Levy Enterprise would then use the information to lure motor vehicle accident victims to corrupt medical clinics, where medical personnel would submit fraudulent claims for unnecessary medical treatment and the attorneys would file bodily injury lawsuits, all to turn a profit for themselves.”
William R. Hamel (an attorney at Dinkes and Schwitzer) is charged with Bribery in the Third Degree, in violation of Penal Law ､ 200.00. Bribery in the Third Degree is a class D felony punishable by up to seven years in prison.
Pradhudial Balkaran (a hospital employee at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center), Franklin Martinez (a hospital employee at Lincoln), Vanessa Marte, (a hospital employee at Lincoln), Natasha Samuels (a hospital employee at Lincoln), Benito Figueroa (a hospital employee at Lincoln), Odalis Caraballo, (a hospital employee at Lincoln) and Kenton Wright (a hospital employee at Jacobi Hospital) are charged with Bribe Receiving in the Third Degree, in violation of Penal Law ､ 200.10 . Bribe Receiving in the Third Degree is a class D felony punishable by up to seven years in prison. Moreover, these defendants are charged with the A misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail, of Official Misconduct pursuant to New York Penal Law ､ 195.00.