The operator of a marketing company pleaded guilty to his role in a scheme that resulted in more than $127 million in fraudulent claims being submitted to healthcare benefit programs for durable medical equipment.
Nicco Romanowski, 31, of Roswell, Ga., participated in a scheme involving durable medical equipment companies, telemedicine companies and physicians that submitted false claims to healthcare benefit programs including Medicare and Tricare. The scheme was based on circular kickbacks and bribes, according to a Dec. 19 Justice Department news release.
Mr. Romanowski operated a marketing company through which he and his co-conspirators identified Medicare and Tricare beneficiaries to target for durable medical equipment, according to the release. Employees of the company called beneficiaries to pressure them into accepting the equipment. Mr. Romanowski and others paid the company's employees to encourage them to convince as many beneficiaries as possible to accept the equipment, regardless of medical necessity.
His company also paid kickbacks to telemedicine companies, which in turn paid kickbacks to physicians in order to obtain orders for the equipment, according to the releases. Mr. Romanowski and his business partner, Eric Karlewicz, then steered the orders to DME companies, with which the marketing company had additional kickback arrangements. The companies submitted the claims for reimbursement and then sent a portion of the proceeds to the Mr. Romanowski and the company. The company received more than $63 million from DME suppliers in exchange for the referrals.
The scheme ran from June 2017 through May 2019, according to the release. Mr. Romanowski is scheduled to be sentenced May 21. Mr. Karlewicz previously pleaded guilty to his role in the scheme.