WILLIAMSVILLE DOCTOR ADMITS FILING FALSE CLAIMS WITH MEDICARE

BUFFALO, N.Y.-- MIKHAIL STRUTSOVSKIY, 37, a licensed physician and resident of Williamsville, New York, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny, to a felony charge of filing false statements in connection with payments for health care benefits yesterday, Acting U.S. Attorney Kathleen M. Mehltretter of the Western District of New York announced today. The crime carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both.

Assistant U.S. Attorney John E. Rogowski, who handled the case, stated that between January, 2003, and September, 2004, the defendant, who was then a physical therapist, was associated with AllCare Medical, a medical clinic operated by 2 non-medical professional, Robert Stein a/k/a Mikhail Solovey and Marina Kats. Solovey and Kats ordered unnecessary medical tests and treatments for patients based on profit, and not on the needs of patients. Medical personnel associated with AllCare, including STRUTSOVSKIY, falsely certified that the tests and treatments were medically necessary. In addition, STRUTSOVSKIY, who was completing his medical training in Baltimore, Maryland, during a portion of this time period, falsely certified that he personally rendered physical therapy treatments when unqualified and unlicensed individuals provided the treatment. Inpleading guilty, STRUTSOVSKIY admitted that he often came back from Baltimore to Buffalo to sign fraudulent medical records and insurance claims. The fraudulent claims were submitted to Medicare. As a result of TRUTSOVSKIY'S criminal conduct, Medicare paid AllCare Medical $131,413. In total, Solovey and Kats improperly received $451,000 in payments form Medicare. Solovey and Katspreviously pled guilty to federal health care fraud offenses. The investigation against others associated with AllCare is continuing.

The plea was the culmination of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of the Western New York Health Care Fraud Task Force, consisting of agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Department of Labor - Office of Labor Racketeering, United States Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, United States Postal Inspection Service, United PostalService Office of Inspector General, United States Department of Defense - Criminal Investigation Service, United States Food and Drug Administration - Office of Criminal Investigation, and the New York State Insurance Fraud Bureau.

The United States Department of Homeland Security - Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Amherst Police Department also participated in the investigation. The investigation into others associated with All Care is continuing.

Sentencing is scheduled for July 29, 2009, at 9 a.m. EST, in Buffalo, N.Y., in front of U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny.