N.Y. Arrests Psychotherapists for Fraud

A 263-count indictment, filed in Kings County Supreme Court, charges Gabriel Feldmar Ph.D., a licensed psychologist, and three psychotherapists under his employ, Brian McCarthy, Tomeka Austin and Nasim Jadoon, with conspiracy and multiple counts of grand larceny, insurance fraud and falsifying business records. They are specifically alleged to have over-billed insurance carriers for services provided to patients or submitted bills for services that were never rendered.

New York State Insurance Superintendent Gregory Serio, Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, and NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly jointly announced the filing of charges against the four. Staffers at their clinics directed patients to meet with a psychotherapist supervised by Dr. Feldmar without regard to medical necessity. Many of those patients allegedly had suffered only minor injuries as a result of car accidents in which the vehicles sustained little or no damage.

Between April 2000 and September 2003, the defendants allegedly engaged in a conspiracy to submit falsified no-fault claims to insurance carriers for counseling services for hundreds of motor vehicle accident victims that were never rendered. Their claims totaled approximately $88,000. Each of the defendants faces up to seven years in prison if convicted of the top count of the indictment.