Trumbull Dentist Arrested for alleged Medicaid Fraud

An area dentist is in custody on Medicaid fraud charges after the FBI raided his office and others, including one in Trumbull, earlier this week.

Dr. Mehran Zamani, 47, of Pound Ridge, N.Y., is accused of running an office opened by former dentist Gary F. Anusavice, 59, of Rhode Island. Anusavice had his license to practice revoked in two states and had been barred from participating in government health care programs in 1998, prior to opening offices in Connecticut, prosecutors said.

Anusavice also has recently reopened a dental practice at the former location of Dental Care of Connecticut in Trumbull, prosecutors said.

 “As alleged, these operators of dental practices throughout Connecticut defrauded the Medicaid program of more than $20 million over a two-year period,” said U.S. Attorney David Fein.  “We are committed to protecting American taxpayers from health care fraud, which can increase costs and jeopardize the integrity of our health care system.  I want to commend HHS-OIG, IRS-Criminal Investigation and the FBI for their investigative efforts, and thank the Connecticut Attorney General’s Office, which provided invaluable assistance during the course of this investigation.”

“Although Gary F. Anusavice was barred from Medicare, Medicaid and other government health programs back in 1998, he allegedly continued to defraud taxpayers by using an elaborate shield of companies and individuals – including Dr. Zamani – to hide his involvement,” said Susan J. Waddell, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Health and Human Services.  “Working with Federal and State partners, our investigators will penetrate such schemes and help bring suspects to justice.”

Anyone with information regarding health care fraud activity is asked to contact the nearest FBI field office.

The Medicaid program is a joint federal-state program that provides funds for medical services to lower-income individuals who qualify for benefits. The program is jointly administered by the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services and supervised by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.  In Connecticut, the Medicaid program is administered by the State of Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS), Fein said.

Anusavice was convicted of submitting false health care claims in Massachusetts in July 1997, Fein said. Anusavice's licenses to practice were revoked in Massachusetts and Rhode Island in 2005 and 2006.

But Anusavice opened offices in Connecticut anyway, one run by Zamani.

"These dental practices received millions of dollars in Medicaid reimbursements from the Connecticut Medicaid program," Fein said.

The dental practices operated by ANUSAVICE and ZAMANI included Landmark Dental in West Haven, Dental Group of Connecticut in Trumbull, and Dental Group of Stamford.

"It is alleged that Anusavice hired Zamani at Landmark Dental in October 2008, and that Zamani soon became aware of Anusavice's disciplinary history.  In January 2009, Zamani submitted a Medicaid Provider Enrollment Application with the DSS in order to obtain a Medicaid provider number for Mehran Zamani LLC, listing his group practice name as Landmark Dental.  In May 2009, ZAMANI submitted an application with the DSS for a Medicaid provider number for Landmark Dental.  In the applications ZAMANI submitted, he failed to disclose that Anusavice had an ownership or control interest in Landmark Dental, even though Zamani knew that Anusavice was running the practice and profited from it," Fein said.

"From approximately February 2009 to March 2011, Mehran Zamani LLC and Landmark Dental received more than $12.9 million in Medicaid reimbursement payments," he added.

The two then opened an office in Stamford together and collected $4.4 million in Medicaid reimbursement payments, Fein said. From August 2011 to March 2011, the Dental Group of Connecticut received more than $3.5 million in Medicaid reimbursement payments, the prosecutor said.

Reimbursement payments to the doctors were suspended in April 2011, but by then the two had received about $21 million in Medicaid reimbursement funds, prosecutors said.

"It is further alleged that ANUSAVICE and another dentist are now operating a new set of dental clinics doing business as Alpha Dental Group in Cromwell, Dental Group of New Britain, and Hartford Dental Care.  Between November 2011 and March 2012, Arbor Dental has received more than $2.6 million in Medicaid funds.  ANUSAVICE also has recently reopened a dental practice at the former location of Dental Care of Connecticut in Trumbull," Fein noted.

Anusavice was arrested at home in North Kingstown, R.I., on a federal criminal complaint charging him with conspiring to commit health care fraud, committing health care fraud and making false statements involving federal health care programs.  

Zamani was arrested at home in New York on a criminal complaint charging him with the same offenses.  Both have appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Holly B. Fitzsimmons in Bridgeport.

In association with today’s arrests, investigating agencies conducted court authorized searches of Anusavice's home, and dental clinics he is allegedly operating in New Britain and Trumbull.

This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The Connecticut Attorney General’s Office provided assistance and cooperation throughout the investigation.

Fein encouraged individuals who suspect health care fraud to report it by calling the Health Care Fraud Task Force at 203-777-6311 or 1-800-HHS-TIPS.