Exploiting the urgency of the COVID-19 crisis, they shamelessly manipulated COVID-19-related billing codes to make deceitful claims for expensive cancer medications like Targretin Gel 1% and Panretin Gel 0.1%
Two individuals who owned pharmacies have been handed down sentences for their involvement in a scheme where they deceitfully submitted millions of dollars in fraudulent claims to Medicare through New York-area pharmacies. They further went on to launder the proceeds, even amidst the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Peter Khaim, residing in Forest Hills, New York, received a sentence of eight years and one month in prison. His brother and co-defendant, Arkadiy Khaimov, and also residing in Forest Hills, was sentenced to six years in prison on April 3.
As per the Justice Department's findings, Khaim and Khaimov were involved in a sophisticated money laundering plot. This scheme revolved around a fraudulent healthcare operation that encompassed 16 pharmacies in the New York area, all of which were owned and controlled by Khaim, Khaimov, and their co-conspirators. Exploiting the urgency of the COVID-19 crisis, they shamelessly manipulated COVID-19-related billing codes to make deceitful claims for expensive cancer medications like Targretin Gel 1% and Panretin Gel 0.1%. Shockingly, these medications were neither prescribed by doctors nor given to patients, and were supposedly dispensed during periods when the pharmacies were closed.
To hide more than $18 million of their illicit gains, Khaim, Khaimov, and their accomplices channeled the money through various shell companies, including counterfeit pharmacy wholesalers that were made to appear legitimate. Typically, Khaim and Khaimov would transfer the funds from their controlled pharmacy bank accounts to these sham wholesale companies.
From there, the funds would be sent to Chinese companies for distribution among individuals in Uzbekistan. In return, the defendants would receive a corresponding amount of cash from a co-conspirator, deducting a commission. On other occasions, the ill-gotten profits would be funneled from the sham wholesale companies to Khaim, Khaimov, their relatives, or their chosen representatives in the form of certified cashier's checks and cash. Khaim and Khaimov utilized the proceeds from this scheme to acquire real estate and indulge in luxurious items.
On November 3, 2022, Khaim admitted his guilt to one charge of conspiring to commit money laundering. Just a few weeks later, on November 16, 2022, Khaimov also pleaded guilty to the same charge. During the sentencing, Khaim was instructed to pay back over $18 million in restitution and forfeit more than $2.7 million. On the other hand, Khaimov was ordered to pay back over $18 million in restitution and forfeit a staggering amount of over $9.6 million.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York; Assistant Director in Charge James Smith of the FBI New York Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Thomas M. Fattorusso of the IRS Criminal Investigation; Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); and Special Agent in Charge Patricia Tarasca of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG) made the announcement.
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