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Court documents reveal new details in North Texas healthcare fraud cases
Дата публикации: 23-06-2026 12:57:52
While federal officials focused Tuesday on more than $365 million in alleged healthcare fraud tied to seven North Texas cases, newly unsealed indictments reveal additional allegations involving a Tarrant County cardiologist accused of participating in an $89 million cardiovascular testing scheme targeting student athletes nationwide, a Frisco counselor accused of using TRICARE fraud proceeds to fund luxury purchases, and a wound-care executive accused of paying tens of millions of dollars in kickbacks while amassing luxury homes, vehicles and a private jet. Prosecutors say the cases are part of a broader nationwide healthcare fraud takedown announced by the Justice Department this week.
Among the newly filed cases is one against Tarrant County cardiologist Jason Finkelstein, who federal prosecutors accuse of participating in an alleged $89 million healthcare fraud scheme involving cardiovascular testing performed on student athletes across the country.
According to an indictment filed in federal court in Florida, Finkelstein served as medical director for a company that marketed “no-cost” cardiac screenings to colleges and universities by warning of sudden cardiac arrest among athletes. Prosecutors allege sonographers traveled to campuses nationwide and performed the same battery of tests on athletes without individualized medical evaluations.
The indictment alleges Finkelstein routinely approved test results within seconds, despite receiving dozens of images for review. In one example cited by prosecutors, Finkelstein allegedly reviewed 63 images containing indications of potential heart abnormalities and signed off on all of them as normal approximately 11 seconds after opening the records. Prosecutors allege the athlete later died and that Finkelstein continued approving tests in the same manner afterward.
Federal prosecutors further allege false diagnoses were assigned to athletes to justify testing, claims falsely stated athletes had been examined or referred for testing by physicians, and athletic trainers received kickbacks in exchange for referring students to the program. The indictment alleges more than $89 million in fraudulent claims were submitted, resulting in more than $13 million in payments from private insurers, Medicaid, veterans programs, and other healthcare plans.
Court records also provide additional details about the case against Frisco counselor Kevin Darnell Curry, who was charged in connection with an alleged scheme involving transcranial magnetic stimulation treatments billed to TRICARE.
Prosecutors allege Curry operated clinics in Plano and Fort Worth and submitted claims for treatments that were not provided, were medically unnecessary, or were obtained through illegal kickbacks. The indictment alleges that beneficiaries were paid cash incentives to receive treatment, that providers’ names were used on claims without their knowledge, and that medical records were falsified to support reimbursement requests.
The filing further alleges Curry used proceeds from the scheme to purchase luxury goods, including a gold-plated Tesla Cybertruck, expensive furniture, luxury retail items, and casino outings. Prosecutors allege approximately $26.9 million in claims were submitted to TRICARE, which paid more than $17 million.
Another newly detailed indictment targets Michael McMillan of Las Vegas, whom prosecutors accuse of orchestrating a skin-substitute kickback scheme that generated approximately $268 million in reimbursements from Medicare, TRICARE and other federal healthcare programs.
According to the indictment, McMillan’s companies provided wound-care products to physicians and podiatrists under agreements that allegedly guaranteed providers a percentage of government reimbursements. Prosecutors allege providers typically retained 30% to 40% of reimbursement payments as illegal kickbacks while McMillan’s companies collected the remainder.
Federal prosecutors allege the scheme resulted in approximately $94 million in kickbacks paid to providers and another $27 million paid to sales representatives who recruited doctors into the arrangement. The indictment also alleges McMillan used proceeds from the scheme to purchase luxury homes, a Lamborghini Urus, a Cadillac Escalade, and a private jet.
The court filings also reveal additional details in several North Texas cases already announced by the Justice Department.
In Garland, prosecutors accuse hospice owner Catherine Maduka of recruiting Medicare beneficiaries who were not eligible for hospice care, paying recruiters disguised as marketing vendors, falsifying patient records and keeping some patients enrolled for years to increase Medicare reimbursements. Prosecutors allege her hospice submitted approximately $3.1 million in claims and received roughly $2.3 million from Medicare.
A superseding indictment involving physicians Olubayo Idowu and James Lou Carlisle Jr. and nurse practitioner Vaughn Brozek alleges a kickback scheme tied to ambulatory EEG testing. Prosecutors claim patients were paid to undergo testing and physicians received a share of insurance reimbursements. It also claims diagnoses were exaggerated or fabricated to make testing appear medically necessary. The indictment alleges more than $25 million in fraudulent claims were submitted.
Federal prosecutors also unsealed charges against Irving businessman Neel Paithankar, alleging his company submitted approximately 3,700 Medicare claims for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment. Prosecutors allege that telemarketers obtained beneficiary information through misleading calls and equipment was shipped to people who did not qualify for or request the products.
Other cases filed in North Texas on Tuesday
Devin Jack Brodman, of Coconut Creek, Florida:
Charged in connection with the submission of fraudulent claims by two North Texas labs to Medicare for laboratory testing services, including genetic testing. A release states testing services were ineligible for reimbursement and ordered through kickbacks and bribes. Officials allege the two labs billed Medicare for around $65 million and received approximately $43 million.
Jason Charles Mareno, of Irving, Texas, David Lee Lloyd, of Meridian, Mississippi, Jason Kashou, of Coral Springs, Florida, and Duc Ngoc Ly, a.k.a Michael Ly, of Frisco, Texas:
Charged by superseding indictment with conspiracy to violate the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute in connection with a scheme to bill Medicare for COVID-19 test kits. Officials claim the defendants provided information to co-conspirators who used that information to bill Medicare for more than $73 million for COVID-19 test kits to beneficiaries who did not request them, and were deceased in some cases. Federal officials claim the lab owners then gave the defendants financial kickbacks.
The U.S. Justice Department announced 455 charges nationwide on Tuesday, totaling more than $6.5 billion in alleged fraud.
The release from the DOJ says the takedown also involved international efforts, resulting in the apprehension of fugitives abroad, a defendant in Kyrenia connected to a more than $3.7 billion scheme, two defendants in Estonia previously charged in a $10.6 billion scheme, and in the Philippines, one person was arrested in connection with a previously-charged $1.2 billion telemedicine fraud scheme.
“We are aggressively scaling our offensive against anyone using health care as a front to steal from the American people,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “As today’s cases and arrests show, there is no case too big, no scheme too complex, and no hiding place too remote for our relentless fraud-fighting team. Our message is simple: if you put profit over patients, you should expect to be put in prison.”
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While federal officials focused Tuesday on more than $365 million in alleged healthcare fraud tied to seven North Texas cases, newly unsealed indictments reveal additional allegations involving a Tarrant County cardiologist accused of participating in an $89 million cardiovascular testing scheme targeting student athletes nationwide, a Frisco counselor accused of using TRICARE fraud proceeds to fund luxury purchases, and a wound-care executive accused of paying tens of millions of dollars in kickbacks while amassing luxury homes, vehicles and a private jet. Prosecutors say the cases are part of a broader nationwide healthcare fraud takedown announced by the Justice Department this week.
Among the newly filed cases is one against Tarrant County cardiologist Jason Finkelstein, who federal prosecutors accuse of participating in an alleged $89 million healthcare fraud scheme involving cardiovascular testing performed on student athletes across the country.
According to an indictment filed in federal court in Florida, Finkelstein served as medical director for a company that marketed "no-cost" cardiac screenings to colleges and universities by warning of sudden cardiac arrest among athletes. Prosecutors allege sonographers traveled to campuses nationwide and performed the same battery of tests on athletes without individualized medical evaluations.
The indictment alleges Finkelstein routinely approved test results within seconds, despite receiving dozens of images for review. In one example cited by prosecutors, Finkelstein allegedly reviewed 63 images containing indications of potential heart abnormalities and signed off on all of them as normal approximately 11 seconds after opening the records. Prosecutors allege the athlete later died and that Finkelstein continued approving tests in the same manner afterward.
Federal prosecutors further allege false diagnoses were assigned to athletes to justify testing, claims falsely stated athletes had been examined or referred for testing by physicians, and athletic trainers received kickbacks in exchange for referring students to the program. The indictment alleges more than $89 million in fraudulent claims were submitted, resulting in more than $13 million in payments from private insurers, Medicaid, veterans programs, and other healthcare plans.
Court records also provide additional details about the case against Frisco counselor Kevin Darnell Curry, who was charged in connection with an alleged scheme involving transcranial magnetic stimulation treatments billed to TRICARE.
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Prosecutors allege Curry operated clinics in Plano and Fort Worth and submitted claims for treatments that were not provided, were medically unnecessary, or were obtained through illegal kickbacks. The indictment alleges that beneficiaries were paid cash incentives to receive treatment, that providers' names were used on claims without their knowledge, and that medical records were falsified to support reimbursement requests.
The filing further alleges Curry used proceeds from the scheme to purchase luxury goods, including a gold-plated Tesla Cybertruck, expensive furniture, luxury retail items, and casino outings. Prosecutors allege approximately $26.9 million in claims were submitted to TRICARE, which paid more than $17 million.
Another newly detailed indictment targets Michael McMillan of Las Vegas, whom prosecutors accuse of orchestrating a skin-substitute kickback scheme that generated approximately $268 million in reimbursements from Medicare, TRICARE and other federal healthcare programs.
According to the indictment, McMillan's companies provided wound-care products to physicians and podiatrists under agreements that allegedly guaranteed providers a percentage of government reimbursements. Prosecutors allege providers typically retained 30% to 40% of reimbursement payments as illegal kickbacks while McMillan's companies collected the remainder.
Federal prosecutors allege the scheme resulted in approximately $94 million in kickbacks paid to providers and another $27 million paid to sales representatives who recruited doctors into the arrangement. The indictment also alleges McMillan used proceeds from the scheme to purchase luxury homes, a Lamborghini Urus, a Cadillac Escalade, and a private jet.
The court filings also reveal additional details in several North Texas cases already announced by the Justice Department.
In Garland, prosecutors accuse hospice owner Catherine Maduka of recruiting Medicare beneficiaries who were not eligible for hospice care, paying recruiters disguised as marketing vendors, falsifying patient records and keeping some patients enrolled for years to increase Medicare reimbursements. Prosecutors allege her hospice submitted approximately $3.1 million in claims and received roughly $2.3 million from Medicare.
A superseding indictment involving physicians Olubayo Idowu and James Lou Carlisle Jr. and nurse practitioner Vaughn Brozek alleges a kickback scheme tied to ambulatory EEG testing. Prosecutors claim patients were paid to undergo testing and physicians received a share of insurance reimbursements. It also claims diagnoses were exaggerated or fabricated to make testing appear medically necessary. The indictment alleges more than $25 million in fraudulent claims were submitted.
Federal prosecutors also unsealed charges against Irving businessman Neel Paithankar, alleging his company submitted approximately 3,700 Medicare claims for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment. Prosecutors allege that telemarketers obtained beneficiary information through misleading calls and equipment was shipped to people who did not qualify for or request the products.
Other cases filed in North Texas on Tuesday
- Devin Jack Brodman, of Coconut Creek, Florida:
Charged in connection with the submission of fraudulent claims by two North Texas labs to Medicare for laboratory testing services, including genetic testing. A release states testing services were ineligible for reimbursement and ordered through kickbacks and bribes. Officials allege the two labs billed Medicare for around $65 million and received approximately $43 million.
- Jason Charles Mareno, of Irving, Texas, David Lee Lloyd, of Meridian, Mississippi, Jason Kashou, of Coral Springs, Florida, and Duc Ngoc Ly, a.k.a Michael Ly, of Frisco, Texas:
Charged by superseding indictment with conspiracy to violate the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute in connection with a scheme to bill Medicare for COVID-19 test kits. Officials claim the defendants provided information to co-conspirators who used that information to bill Medicare for more than $73 million for COVID-19 test kits to beneficiaries who did not request them, and were deceased in some cases. Federal officials claim the lab owners then gave the defendants financial kickbacks.
The U.S. Justice Department announced 455 charges nationwide on Tuesday, totaling more than $6.5 billion in alleged fraud.
The release from the DOJ says the takedown also involved international efforts, resulting in the apprehension of fugitives abroad, a defendant in Kyrenia connected to a more than $3.7 billion scheme, two defendants in Estonia previously charged in a $10.6 billion scheme, and in the Philippines, one person was arrested in connection with a previously-charged $1.2 billion telemedicine fraud scheme.
“We are aggressively scaling our offensive against anyone using health care as a front to steal from the American people,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “As today’s cases and arrests show, there is no case too big, no scheme too complex, and no hiding place too remote for our relentless fraud-fighting team. Our message is simple: if you put profit over patients, you should expect to be put in prison.”
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