63
HEALTHCARE
NEWS
New York orthopedists indicted in $31M scheme
encouraging patients to stage trip-and-fall accidents
By Alan Condon
A
group of physicians and lawyers were indicted Aug. 25,
accused of recruiting a network of people for a slip-and-fall
scheme that defrauded New York City businesses and insur-
ance companies of more than $31 million.
e U.S. Justice Department indictment charges two physicians and two
attorneys with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud as part of a
"scheme to obtain fraudulent insurance reimbursements and other com-
pensation for fraudulent trip-and-fall accidents."
e defendants are:
• Sady Ribeiro, MD, pain management specialist
• Andrew Dowd, MD, orthopedic surgeon
• George Constantine and Marc Elefant, attorneys
From about January 2013 to April 2018, the defendants allegedly coerced peo-
ple to stage trip-and-fall accidents aer which the attorneys would file lawsuits.
About 400 fake patients participated in the scheme, which used cellar doors,
cracks in concrete sidewalks and apparent potholes to stage accidents, prose-
cutors said.
Patients were referred to specific attorneys, including Mr. Constantine
and Mr. Elefant, who filed fraudulent personal injury lawsuits against
businesses and/or insurance companies, according to the Justice Depart-
ment.
Prosecutors said patients were also instructed to receive chiropractic and
medical treatment from certain providers, including Drs. Dowd and Ri-
beiro. e defendants allegedly told patients that they were required to
have surgery if they wished to continue their lawsuits, and patients were
typically told to have two surgeries.
As an incentive, patients would receive $1,000 to $1,500 aer they had
surgery, the Justice Department said. Drs. Dowd and Ribeiro allegedly
performed several of these surgeries that were not medically necessary.
Members of the fraud scheme "preyed upon the most vulnerable members
of society," according to the Justice Department, recruiting individuals who
were extremely poor, many of whom came from homeless shelters in New
York City.
e defendants face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. n
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