MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — The federal government is accusing three brothers from Montgomery County of operating their dental business as a criminal enterprise for more than 10 years. U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania says the health care scams bilked taxpayers out of millions of dollars.
If found guilty, the owners of Fort Washington-based Savani Group — Bhaskar Savani, 56, Arun Savani, 55, and Niranjan Savani, 51 — and nine co-defendants face hefty jail sentences and fines. Among the charges against them are racketeering, conspiracy, visa fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering.
In a 42-count indictment, U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Romero alleges the group fraudulently obtained Medicaid contracts and billed to the government, laundering millions of dollars in proceeds from the scheme through a complex web of transactions using numerous bank accounts and banks.
The brothers and their companies stand accused of filing false tax returns to avoid paying about $2 million in personal and payroll taxes, and of fraudulently expensing payments for tuition, cars and other personal needs through their businesses.
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The brothers are accused of filing false petitions for H-1B visas and of illegally hiring foreign workers to support operations.
The group is accused of using uncredentialed dentists to treat patients and of using dental implant prototypes, designated “Not For Human Use” and not approved by the FDA, in some patients without their consent or knowledge.
The siblings are out of jail on bail as they await their trial.