Genetic Testing Fraud Case
In a significant legal development, Minal Patel, the 44-year-old owner of LabSolutions LLC, a laboratory based in Atlanta, was ordered by U.S. District Court Judge Rodolfo A. Ruiz in Miami to forfeit over $187 million in proceeds from a healthcare fraud scheme. The forfeiture includes more than $30 million seized from personal and corporate bank accounts, a 2018 Red Ferrari Spider, a 2019 Land Rover Range Rover, and real estate properties.
Patel's fraudulent activities involved collaborating with patient brokers, telemedicine companies, and call centers to target Medicare beneficiaries through deceptive telemarketing calls. These calls falsely claimed that Medicare covered expensive cancer genetic tests. Once beneficiaries consented, Patel paid kickbacks and bribes to patient brokers to secure signed doctors’ orders for the tests from telemedicine companies. To disguise these illicit payments, Patel had patient brokers sign sham contracts misrepresenting the nature of the transactions.
In June 2023, Patel was convicted of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and wire fraud, as well as multiple counts of healthcare fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to defraud the United States and pay and receive illegal healthcare kickbacks. He was subsequently sentenced to 27 years in prison.
Given the complex nature of the case, particularly concerning genetic testing and healthcare compliance, Fort Lauderdale attorney Robyn Sztyndor was retained to assist with post-conviction counsel. Sztyndor's extensive expertise in healthcare compliance and fraud defense positions her as a valuable asset in navigating the intricate legal and regulatory issues involved in this case.