Greenwich Psychologist Sentenced In $2.6M Health Care Fraud Scheme: Feds

GREENWICH, CT — A Greenwich psychologist who authorities say received $2.6 million for billing insurers for services he did not provide was sentenced this week to 27 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney for the District of CT Vanessa Roberts Avery.

Michael Lonski, 72, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford on Monday and ordered to pay $2.6 million in restitution, Avery said. Lonski is required to report to prison on March 25, 2024.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Lonski was a licensed psychologist who, along with wife, Dr. Evelyn Llewellyn, maintained separate medical practices out of their home office in Old Greenwich.

Lonski and Llewellyn were authorized providers for the Connecticut Medicaid program, Medicare, and other health care benefit programs, Avery said. Lonski assumed responsibility for submitting claims for reimbursement for services provided by himself and Llewellyn, both at their home office and at various skilled nursing facilities within Connecticut, Avery added.

For years, Lonski billed insurers for services that he knew were not rendered, including by billing for patients who were dead, for dates of service when he was out of the country, for dates of service when Llewellyn was out of the country, and for dates of service when he was hospitalized, according to Avery.

From 2014 through 2019, Lonski submitted more than 80,000 claims for service, and he claimed to have provided services every single day, including weekends and holidays, except for one day in 2017, Avery noted.

On 60 of these dates, Lonski billed for more than 24 hours of service, and on 901 dates, Lonski billed for more than 12 hours of service, Avery said, adding that the fraudulent claims resulted in a loss of over $2.6 million including a loss of $1.15 million to the Connecticut Medicaid program and a loss of $119,092 to Medicare.

In 2002, Lonski settled a federal civil lawsuit related to health care fraud, which was brought by the government in the Southern District of New York. Lonski agreed to pay $4 million in restitution and was excluded from participating in all federal health care programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, for five years, Avery said.

On Dec. 12, 2022, Lonski pleaded guilty to health care fraud.

In May 2023, Llewellyn entered into a civil settlement agreement with the federal and state governments in which she agreed to pay $658,294 to settle allegations that she received payment for claims submitted by Lonski to the Medicare and Medicaid programs for psychology services provided by Llewellyn to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries that were, in fact, not provided, Avery said.

This investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Susan L. Wines, Richard M. Molot, and Christine Sciarrino

People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.