LI Man Pleads Guilty In Turkish Birth Tourism Scheme: US Attny

EAST PATCHOGUE, NY — A Long Island man admitted to his part in a Turkish birth tourism scheme arranging for pregnant women to enter the U.S. under false pretenses to give birth so that their children would be entitled to birthright citizenship, the U.S. Attorney’s office said.

Ibrahim Aksakal, 49, of East Patchogue pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit health care and wire fraud in connection with a so-called birth tourism scheme in Suffolk County between about 2017 and 2020, and also agreed to forfeit $397,500 of proceeds linked to his role, prosecutors said.

The pregnant women stayed in one of about seven birth houses that the 49-year-old Aksakal, who goes by the name “Dennis,” maintained in East Patchogue, Center Moriches, Dix Hills, East Northport, Smithtown and West Babylon, according to prosecutors. Aksakal and his co-conspirators advertised the scheme on websites, fraudulently obtained Medicaid benefits and lodging and transportation for the pregnant women, and Medicaid disbursed more than $1 million in fraudulently obtained benefits, prosecutors said.

From at least January 2017 to September 2020, Aksakal and his co-conspirators advertised a birth tourism scheme on two Turkish-language Facebook pages, including bebegimamerikadadogum.org and amerikadadogum.org, said prosecutors, adding, that a Turkish-language website, https://amerikadadogum.org, account, was also used.

Translated into English, “bebegimamerikadadogsun” means “My baby should be born in America,” and “amerikadadogum” means “Giving Birth in America, prosecutors said. Some of the defendants’ advertisements were translated to say, “If you believe your baby should be born in the USA and become a U.S. citizen then you are at the right place. . . . [W]e at ‘Bebegim Amerika Dogsun’ . . . will provide future mothers and fathers this opportunity, with minimal costs . . . .,” according to prosecutors.

The advertisements also stated that about $7,500 in cash fees paid by pregnant women would include transportation and insurance “to cover the costs of prenatal, delivery and post-natal medical care, assistance with the process for applying for United States citizenship on behalf of children born in connection with the scheme and consultation in Turkish concerning health care issues,” prosecutors said.

Aksakal and his co-conspirators also instructed the women to conceal their pregnancies, according to prosecutors.

Acting U.S. Attorney Jacquelyn Kasulis. Ms. Kasulis thanked the Department of State and Diplomatic Security Service for their assistance with the case.

“With today’s plea, Aksakal admits to an outrageous scheme in which he caused the Medicaid program to disburse more than $1 million in benefits for pregnant Turkish nationals who, masquerading as tourists, entered the United States under false pretenses to obtain birthright citizenship for their newborns,” she said.

Suffolk District Attorney Tim Sini said called the case “an extremely complex, international investigation that led law enforcement to the core of this scheme right here in our backyard.”

“More than $1 million of American citizens’ hard-earned money was stolen through this conspiracy, and today’s plea holds its ringleader accountable,” he said, adding, “We will not tolerate the theft of taxpayer money in any form, and will continue to work with all of our law enforcement partners to target, arrest and prosecute anyone trying to take advantage of the system.”

SCPD Commissioner Stuart Cameron called healthcare fraud is “an issue that hurts both the individuals who rely on these services and the taxpayers who ultimately get stuck with the bill.”

“This is the first time the Suffolk County Police Department handled a birth tourism case and I would like to commend the efforts of our Criminal Intelligence detectives as well as our partners in law enforcement who successfully worked on this case while also sending a message to others exploiting birth tourism — bilking the system and swindling our residents is not an acceptable practice here in Suffolk,” he added.

Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent-in-Charge Peter Fitzhugh said that the “criminality of birth tourism manipulates our visa and immigration systems and diverts precious financial resources from an already exhausted health care system that serves our local communities to combat COVID-19 and other critical needs.”

“This is a criminal organization that threatens our homeland and preys on the vulnerable. HSI, along with its valued partners, will continue to use every resource to dismantle and bring those responsible to justice,” he said.

Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General Special Agent-in-Charge Scott Lampert said “millions of people in New York depend on Medicaid for vital services, and taxpayers across the state pay for that care.”

“When individuals like Mr. Aksakal use this program to perpetrate fraud, they divert precious funding that puts the future availability of Medicaid and other public assistance programs at risk,” he said. “HHS-OIG and our law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively root out fraud schemes and hold criminals accountable.”

Acting Office of the Medicaid Inspector General Frank Walsh said “Medicaid fraud, as this egregious scheme represents, threatens the health and safety of beneficiaries, wastes taxpayer dollars and drains essential resources from the health care delivery system.”

“My office will continue to be vigilant, particularly in these most challenging times in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, and work closely with our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of the Medicaid program, hold wrongdoers fully accountable, and preserve precious health care resources,” he said.

Aksakal faces up to 20 years of imprisonment when he is sentenced.

His attorney, Matthew Whitney Brissenden of Garden City, was not available for comment.