New York Criminal Lawyer Blog

The courtroom drama continues in the ever widening Medical Mafia case in Las Vegas. The shocking FBI case made headlines and weakened an already hesitant trust in insurance companies and the medical establishment by Americans with what is now known to have been a blatant deception and fraud by some of the country’s top physicians, attorneys and insurance companies that took billions of dollars from insurance companies and patients as well as strong armed confused and worried patients into having surgeries that they did not need.

Now, a central figure in the case who was scheduled to go before a grand jury and answer some tough questions about some of the other people involved has decided that he is not talking, and as a result he is now being held in contempt of court. Though the man is already in custody, having been convicted for his role in the Medical Mafia, he will receive an additional 18 month sentence if he does not change his tune and cooperate. Medicaid Fraud is involved in this case.

Several physicians have testified that they participated in the scheme, in which attorneys and physicians blindsided confused patients with unnecessary procedures and medical services, claiming that they were working on the behalf of the patient, yet all the while bilking them and their insurance companies for services and surgeries that they did not need. As more people come forward and more information is known, the nature of the case could change substantially as more details are brought to light. There are cases like this in Manhattan and Long Island.

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High-tech entrepreneur and Miami Beach businessman, Claudio Osorio filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this past Friday. Sources have also told a New York Criminal Lawyer that his wife also filed with the embattled Osorio. As part of this filing, the couple has listed assets of $35 million and debts of $13.5 million. There have been some reports; however, that the listing of assets may be questionable, as his former company, InnoVida, which he lost over allegations of misappropriating investor funds last year, is reported to be currently unable to pay debts totaling $2 million. It is alleged that Osorio transferred much of the company’s cash to offshore accounts before giving up control of the company.
Simply filing for protection from creditors in Chapter 11 bankruptcy will not necessarily absolve the Osorio’s from any allegations of possible wrongdoing, however. According to the sources who spoke with a insiders, the Osorio’s are facing numerous legal challenges from a growing list of neighbors, contractors, businesses, and banks, who are seeking to recover as much of their losses as possible. Judgments were already obtained in at least two lawsuits and are listed as debts in the Chapter 11 filing. One lawsuit was from a former neighbor from the exclusive subdivision the Osorio’s had lived. That judgment was for an undisclosed amount as it is still being contested. The monetary amount of the second judgment is listed in the bankruptcy filing. Judgment was awarded to a former contractor that had done work for the Osorio’s. The dollar amount listed in this suit is for $4 million. The Osorio’s bank accounts were garnished because of this verdict.
The NY Criminal Lawyer also learned that their credit card debt is listed at $250,000, which would indicate that the couple was living a lavish lifestyle based on falsehoods, as some of the creditors have commented.
Although many of the accusations against the entrepreneur are civil, there are ongoing criminal investigations into his business dealings as well. This could be a case of fraud. Many of the allegations surrounding his transfer of assets from his former company are included in a criminal investigation. There is also a criminal investigation into his business dealings in Switzerland, where he is reported to have a condominium, and it is believed that he may have transferred some of his assets into an account there. That investigation is being conducted by Swiss authorities as it would be in Manhattan and Queens.

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Three members of a Yorba Linda, California family were arrested by immigration authorities on suspicion of visa fraud. They ran an immigration consulting business.
The authorities believe the family may have been filing fraudulent marriage and work visa petitions for a price – sometimes as high as $60,000, federal officials told New York Criminal Lawyers. If convicted, the suspects could spend five years in federal prison.
The three, a man, his wife, and their daughter, were all named in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court. Their immigration consulting business catered mostly to Indian nationals. The business was searched around the time of the arrest. Manhattan and Bronx Lawyers handle many fraud cases like these.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement explained to New York Criminal Lawyers the family is accused of enlisting U.S. citizens and paying them $2,000 to marry their clients. Officials say the family would pose couples for photos, then have them open joint bank accounts, so the marriage would look real. They would then file a fraudulent immigrant visa petition with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
They would charge several different fees, such as $15,000 for a work visa, and as much as $60,000 for a visa based upon marriage to a U.S. citizen, immigration officials told New York Criminal Lawyers.
“America’s immigration system is not for sale and those who think they can game the system for personal gain will find there’s a high price to pay,” said a special ICE agent. “Visa fraud is a serious crime. Not only does it undermine the integrity of our legal immigration process and penalize those who abide by the law, it also poses a significant security vulnerability.”
The family had been under investigation since September of 2009 when officers with the Fraud Detection and National Security Division of USCIS in Santa Ana, California began to notice a great deal in common between 21 visa petitions traced back to the consulting company. Sometimes, the applicants used the same marriage certificates, divorce certificates, witnesses, or even the same U.S. citizen spouses.
The consulting company claimed to offer immigration services in places other than California, such as Georgia, New Jersey, and India.

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