Rye Ophthalmologist Guilty In Scheme To Scam COVID Relief Funds

RYE, NY — A Westchester County ophthalmologist entered a guilty plea in connection to a seven-year-long healthcare fraud scheme and to defrauding a Small Business Administration program intended to help small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rye resident Ameet Goyal pleaded guilty on Monday to falsely billing for millions of dollars of procedures he did not perform and also to fraudulently obtaining two government-guaranteed loans intended to help small businesses during the pandemic while simultaneously facing charges on pre-trial release for the initial healthcare fraud scheme, according to U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss.

"Dr. Ameet Goyal was an experienced eye doctor who became blinded by greed and routinely defrauded patients who trusted him to heal their eyes," Strauss said announcing the plea. "He grossly overbilled minor ophthalmological procedures, billed for tests and procedures that were never performed, falsified medical records, attempted to corrupt others in his practice to abet the scheme, and sent patients who refused to pay his fraudulent charges to collections. Already facing charges for defrauding patients and insurers of millions of dollars, Goyal committed a new fraud in applying for Paycheck Protection Program loans on behalf of two separate businesses and lying on the applications."

Goyal looted over $630,000 in federal funds earmarked for small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Strauss said. As part of his plea agreement, Goyal has admitted to both scams and agreed to forfeit $3.6 million. He still faces the possibility of a significant prison term.

The 58-year-old operated Rye Eye Associates, with offices in Rye, Mount Kisco, Wappingers Falls and Greenwich, Connecticut. Between 2010 and 2017, he engaged in widespread healthcare fraud by consistently “upcoding” simpler, lower-paying surgical procedures and examinations as complex, higher-paying major operations in fraudulent billings submitted to Medicare, private insurance companies, and patients, according to federal prosecutors. As a result, Goyal fraudulently obtained at least $3.6 million in payments for procedures he did not perform.

Goyal also admitted to defrauding the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program while awaiting trial on the healthcare fraud. He not only misstated the number of loans he had applied for, but also falsely answered that he was not facing any pending criminal charges on the forgivable loan applications.

Goyal is scheduled to be sentenced on January 6.