Indian-origin doctor guilty of healthcare fraud, tax evasion

An Indian-origin doctor in New Jersey has pleaded guilty to taking money for referring patients to a diagnostic centre and not filing his taxes.

Yash Khanna, from Livingston, Monday pleaded guilty in a Newark federal court to six counts of conspiracy to violate the federal health care anti-kickback statute, soliciting and receiving more than $10,000 in illegal cash kickbacks and failing to file tax returns for 2008, 2009, and 2010, a state justice department statement said.

The anti-kickback charges each carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine, or twice the gain or loss caused by the offence.

The tax charges each carry a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a maximum $100,000 fine, or twice the gain or loss caused by the offence. Sentencing is scheduled for June 27.

Khanna agreed to take cash from Orange Community MRI LLC, a diagnostic testing centre in East Orange, in exchange for referring patients to them between 2009 and 2011, the court was told.

Khanna acknowledged taking kickbacks in cash from the diagnostic centre on other occasions as well, saying he earned more than $381,000 in 2008, $400,000 in 2009 and $214,000 in 2010.

He intentionally failed to file tax returns or ask for extensions during those years, the statement said.