Monmouth Man Charged In In $24.8M Doc Kickback Scheme: Feds

MARLBORO, NJ - A Marlboro man pleaded guilty this week to defrauding the IRS and paying kickbacks to healthcare workers for sending patients to his family’s pharmacy, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig.

Morganville’s Alex Fleyshmakher, 34, was charged in federal court with conspiring to violate the federal anti-kickback statute and conspiring to defraud the IRS.

According to a written statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Fleyshmakher conspired to solicit and pay kickbacks with seven other individuals: Samuel “Sam” Khaimov and Yana Shtindler, of Glen Head, New York and Ruben Sevumyants, of Marlboro. Fleyhsmakher is the first to plead guilty.

Other alleged conspirators in the kickback scheme include Alex’s father, Igor Fleyshmakher, of Holmdel, who previously pleaded guilty for his role in the conspiracy. Eduard “Eddy” Shtindler, of Paramus also previously pleaded guilty in a related kickback conspiracy. Both are awaiting sentences.

In order to obtain a higher volume of prescriptions for Prime Aid pharmacy - a now-defunct brand that had locations in Union City, N.J. and Bronx, N.Y., the alleged conspirators and other Prime Aid employees paid kickbacks and bribes to doctors to steer prescriptions to Prime Aid, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

“From 2008 and August 2017, these bribes included expensive meals, designer bags, and payments by cash, check, and wire transfers. The prescriptions that just one of those medical practices steered to Prime Aid Union City as part of the scheme resulted in Medicare and Medicaid payments to Prime Aid Union City of approximately $24.8 million,” the statement said.

Between 2011 and August 2018, the younger Fleyshmakher allegedly took insurance reimbursement checks totaling millions of dollars from the Prime Aid Pharmacies and cashed the checks in Brooklyn or diverted them through Canadian banks back into U.S. accounts.

Fleyshmakher concealed the funds and failed to report them on his personal income tax returns, resulting in a $9.1 million tax loss to the IRS, according to court documents.

The conspiracy and tax evasion charges to which Alex Fleyshmakher pleaded guilty each carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Fleyshmakher is slated to be sentenced May 27, 2021.