Stuart, Florida – An Indian American obstetrician and gynecologist was convicted by a federal jury of committing repeated acts of health care fraud, according to a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) report.
Sheetal Kanar Kumar, M.D., 48, formerly of Stuart, Florida, was found guilty by a jury of committing twenty-three counts of health care fraud on February 15, 2019.
[pdf-embedder url=”https://www.indiaamericatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/SK-Kumar-Jury-verdict.pdf” title=”SK Kumar Jury verdict”]
Ariana Fajardo Orshan, US Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Shimon R. Richmond, Special Agent in Charge, US Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Miami Regional Office, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, and Ashley B. Moody, Florida Attorney General, made the announcement.
According to the court record, including evidence introduced at trial, she owned and operated the medical practice Advanced Healthcare for Women in Stuart, Florida. From at least as early as January 2014, until July 2017, Kumar submitted or caused fraudulent submissions of claims to Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance companies.
The court documents noted, “The fraudulent claims sought money for specific health care benefits, items, and services that were not provided as billed,” adding, “As a result of such false and fraudulent claims, Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance companies, made payments in the approximate amount of $637,000.”
[pdf-embedder url=”https://www.indiaamericatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/SK-Kumar-indictment.pdf” title=”SK Kumar indictment”]
The indictment read: “lt was the purpose of the scheme and artifice for the defendant to unlawfully enrich herself by, among other things: (a) submitting and causing the submission of false and fraudulent claims to health care benefit programs; (b) concealing the submission of false and fraudulent claims to health care benefit programs; and (c) diverting the proceeds of the false claims to her personal use and benefit, the use and benefit of others, and to further the fraud.”
Kumar is scheduled to be sentenced on April 19, 2019 at 10:00 a.m., by US District Judge Kenneth A. Marra in Fort Pierce. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant US Attorneys Daniel E. Funk and Diana M. Acosta.