Brothers Bhaskar, Niranjan, and Arun Savani and several of their associates have been convicted in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for massive malpractice, racketeering, and Medicaid fraud, as well as immigration fraud.
The convictions bring an end to a long-running fraud investigation brought by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Eastern District of Pennsylvania into the Savani Group of dental facilities across multiple states.
Prosecutors said that the dental providers defrauded patients and the government of millions in coordinated schemes that involved federal healthcare programs, immigration filings, and financial trail to hide fraudulently awarded government funding.
The Savani brothers and their associates, Aleksandra Radomiak, Sunil Philip, Amen Dhyllon, Vivek Savani, Jon Julian, and five others were indicted in January of 2023 and charged with various forms of fraud, conspiracy, Medicaid billing fraud, and healthcare fraud.
Prosecutors said the Savani Group used its network to constantly open and rename clinics and offices to conceal fraudulent filings, billings, and operations.
The process allowed the company to continue billing government healthcare programs while shifting patient names from several offices.
“As proven at trial, the brothers Bhaskar Savani and Arun Savani built a complex criminal enterprise (the “Savani Group”) that amassed millions of dollars through multiple fraud schemes. Defendant Bhaskar Savani was a dentist by training. Defendant Arun Savani generally controlled the finances of the Savani Group. Through their criminal enterprise, Bhaskar and Arun Savani orchestrated long-running schemes to enrich themselves,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania noted.
“This sprawling investigation and prosecution meant untangling a complex web of fraudulent billing practices and sham medical entities,” said United States Attorney David Metcalf. “Our office worked with numerous state and federal partner agencies to unravel and prove the multiple healthcare fraud schemes at the heart of this operation. It’s gratifying to dismantle this crooked enterprise and hold those responsible to account. Fraud and abuse cost U.S. taxpayers billions of dollars a year and rob the healthcare system of vital resources.”
The case also involved the selling of experimental dental devices that were sometimes mislabeled, in particular implants that were labeled “Not for Human Use” that were still implanted into human patients.
The Savanis were also accused of immigration violations by filing false H-1B visa petitions to recruit compliant and cheap workers from their home country in India. This visa fraud allowed the brothers to avoid hiring the American professional dentists who likely would have blocked the fraud years ago.
“Visa fraud undermines our legal immigration system and often victimizes those seeking legitimate opportunities in the United States,” said Anthony Tortora, Resident Agent in Charge at the DSS Philadelphia Resident Office. “The Diplomatic Security Service is committed to investigating these schemes and protecting the integrity of the visa process. This conviction sends a clear message that such fraud will not be tolerated.”
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