Seven medical practitioners—six physicians and one chiropractor—were the latest to be arrested in connection with a kickback scheme in which money allegedly traded hands in exchange for referrals to an imaging practice serving northern and central New Jersey.
The arrests, announced by acting Attorney General of the State of New Jersey John Hoffman, were part of “Operation RayScam,” which focused on Rehan “Ray” Zuberi, the owner of Diagnostic Imaging Affiliates (DIA). Zuberi was arrested in June for his alleged role as leader of the scheme that authorities say netted medical practitioners kickbacks worth approximately $200,000. From 2008 to 2013, these doctors allegedly made more than 20,000 referrals to DIA that resulted in millions of dollars in payments to the imaging center from private payers, Medicare and Medicaid.
All practitioners in this latest round of arrests were charged with second-degree healthcare claims fraud and third-degree commercial bribery. Their names are:
- Simon B. Santos-Arias, 71, of Guttenberg, N.J.
- Michael L. Gross, 47, of New York City
- James W. Cahill, 51, of Franklin Lakes, N.J.
- William M. Steck, Sr., 70, of West Orange, N.J.
- Alan P. Epstein, 45, of Manalapan, N.J.
- Guillermo A. Munoz, 49, of Union, N.J.
“The medical practitioners arrested yesterday betrayed the trust of their patients and allegedly scammed insurers both public and private to enrich themselves,” said Hoffman in a press release. “Medical practitioners should only be concerned with the quality of care they provide and recommend. They should not be selling their medical opinion to the highest bidder.”
Evan joined TriMed in 2011, writing primarily for Health Imaging. Prior to diving into medical journalism, Evan worked for the Nine Network of Public Media in St. Louis. He also has worked in public relations and education. Evan studied journalism at the University of Missouri, with an emphasis on broadcast media.