Scarsdale Doctor Guilty Of Taking $400K In Bribes From Clinic

SCARSDALE, NY — An internal medicine doctor from Scarsdale, who practices in Yonkers, pleaded guilty May 18 to taking $400,000 in bribes in a long-running and elaborate test referral scheme from a New Jersey medical services company. Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick, of the District of New Jersey, announced that Ricky J. Sayegh, 44, of Scarsdale, admitted he accepted cash bribes in violation of the Federal Travel Act.

He is scheduled for sentencing Sept. 6, 2017, and could face a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.

According to filed documents and court statements, Sayegh took the bribes in return for referring blood specimens to Biodiagnostic Laboratory Services LLC of Parsippany, NJ from February 2010 through April 2013.

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He received approximately $400,000 from the lab’s employees and associates. His referrals generated more than $1.4 million in lab business for the company.

Sayegh wasn’t the only one taking bribes for referrals.

The investigation has thus far resulted in 45 convictions — 31 of them doctors — in connection with the bribery scheme, which its organizers have admitted involved millions of dollars in bribes and resulted in more than $100 million in payments to Biodiagnostic Laboratory Services from Medicare and various private insurance companies. It is believed to be the largest number of medical professionals ever prosecuted in a bribery case.

The investigation has to date recovered more than $12 million through forfeiture. On June 28, 2016, Biodiagnostic Laboratory Services, which is no longer is business, pleaded guilty and was required to forfeit all of its assets.

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