Attorney General James Hosts Roundtable On New York’s Opioid Epidemic.
Who: New York State Attorney General Letitia James
Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney
Senator James Skoufis
Assemblyman Jonathan Jacobson
Newburgh Mayor Torrance Harvey
Undersheriff Ken T. Jones, Orange County
Health Professionals
Treatment Providers
Impacted Families
When: Saturday, April 6, 2019, 4pm
**Please arrive by 3:30pm**
Where: SUNY Orange - Newburgh Campus
Kaplan Hall, Great Room
1 Washington Center, Newburgh, NY 12550
Attorney General James Announces Criminal Convictions of Six Defendants Charged in New York City Insurance Fraud Ring
Take Down.
Brooklyn-Based Fraud Ring Stole Over $120K from Insurance Carriers by Submitting Fake Accident Claims for High-End Vehicles.
NEW YORK - Attorney General Letitia James today announced the convictions of six individuals for their participation in a sophisticated auto insurance fraud scheme, in which the defendants cheated insurance carriers out of over $120,000 by submitting fake property damage claims for high-end vehicles.
“This scheme was a brazen attempt to game the insurance system for profit,” said Attorney General Letitia James. “When individuals organize to commit insurance fraud, all New York consumers pay the cost. My office remains committed to rooting out fraud of any kind, and this is no exception.”
The following defendants pleaded guilty in Kings County Supreme Court for their roles in the scheme:
- Carlington Haye, age 37, of Kings County, New York
- Keon Cole, age 35, of Kings County, New York
- Theresa King, age 28, of Kings County, New York
- Mkada Beach, age 38, of Kings County, New York
- Dexter Karl, age 29, of Kings County, New York
- Omari Brown., age 24, of Kings County, New York
According to the Attorney General’s indictment and statements made by prosecutors, between January 2014 and September 2015, members of this insurance fraud ring conspired to submit 11 fake property damage claims, which included multiple false representations, including the manner in which car accidents and purported damages occurred. The defendants also resubmitted claims for the same vehicles with pre-existing damages multiple times. In order to maximize insurance payments, the defendants utilized high-end vehicles, including a Lexus, BMW, Audi, Mercedes, and a Bentley. In furtherance of their scheme, the defendants also used the stolen identity of a United States service member in three of the fake claims.
The defendants received payments ranging from $5,000 to over $20,000 for their fake property damage claims, and cashed insurance checks at two Pay-O-Matic check cashing branches in Kings County, New York. In total, the defendants fraudulently obtained a total of over $120,000 in insurance payments for their counterfeit claims.
The Attorney General’s 42-count indictment, filed in Kings County Supreme Court on June 2, 2017, charged the defendants with Insurance Fraud in the Second Degree (a class C felony), Insurance Fraud in the Third Degree (a class D felony), Identity Theft in First Degree (a class D felony), Grand Larceny in the Third Degree (a class D felony), Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree (a class E felony), Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree (a class E felony) and Conspiracy in the Fifth Degree (a class A misdemeanor).
All six defendants charged pleaded guilty to criminal charges. Defendant Teresa King pleaded guilty to Insurance Fraud in the Fourth Degree, a Class E felony, and was sentenced to 1 year in jail. Defendant Carlington Haye pleaded guilty to Insurance Fraud in the Second Degree, a Class C felony, as part of the plea will serve 90 days in jail, will be sentenced to 5 years’ probation, and must pay over $120,000 in restitution. Defendant Keon Cole pleaded guilty to Insurance Fraud in the Third Degree, a Class D felony, and was sentenced to 30 days in jail, 5 years’ probation, and ordered to pay over $50,000 in restitution. Defendant Mkada Beach pleaded guilty to Insurance Fraud in the Fourth Degree and was sentenced to 5 years’ probation. Defendant Dexter Karl pleaded guilty to Insurance Fraud in the Fifth Degree, a Class A misdemeanor, and was sentenced to a conditional discharged and ordered to pay over $6,000 in restitution. Defendant Omari Brown pleaded guilty to Attempted Petit Larceny, a Class B misdemeanor, and was sentenced to a conditional discharge and also ordered to pay over $9,000 in restitution.
“The National Insurance Crime Bureau would like to applaud the staff of the New York State Attorney General’s Office for their continued efforts to combat insurance fraud in New York,” said Kevin Gallagher, Regional Director of the Northeast Region of the National Insurance Crime Bureau. “The cost of insurance fraud is shared by all consumers, and these convictions send a strong message to others who may be contemplating engaging in insurance fraud. We look forward to our continued partnership in combatting insurance fraud for all New Yorkers.”
These convictions are the culmination of a long-term investigation conducted by the Attorney General’s Insurance Fraud Unit. Attorney General James thanks the National Insurance Crime Bureau, New York State Department of Financial Services, New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, New York City Police Department, New York City Department of Finance Office of the City Register, and the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles for their invaluable assistance in this case. The Attorney General also thanks State Farm Insurance Co., GEICO Insurance Co., Nationwide Insurance Co., United Services Automobile Association, and Progressive Insurance for their valuable assistance.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorneys General Michael Hendrick and Senior Investigative Counsel Cheryl Lee of the Auto Insurance Fraud Unit, with the assistance of Supervising Legal Analyst Paul Strocko and Legal Analyst Samantha Wintner. The Auto Insurance Fraud Unit is led by Unit Chief Gabriel Tapalaga. The Criminal Enforcement and Financial Crimes Bureau is led by Deputy Bureau Chief Joseph D’Arrigo and Bureau Chief Stephanie Swenton. The Division of Criminal Justice is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General Jose Maldonado.
The case was investigated by Investigator Michael McNally, under the direction of Supervising Investigators Edward Keegan and Natalie Shifrin and Deputy Chief Leonard D'Alessandro. The Investigations Bureau is led by First Deputy Chief John Reidy.
Attorney General James Announces Lawsuit Against New York City Stem Cell Clinic for Scamming Vulnerable Patients Out Of Thousands.
Park Avenue Stem Cell Deceived New Yorkers Into Paying Thousands of Dollars For Unproven And Potentially Harmful Stem Cell Procedures.
NEW YORK —Attorney General Letitia James today announced a lawsuit filed against Park Avenue Stem Cell, a New York City for-profit stem cell clinic, and its managing doctor, Dr. Joel B. Singer, M.D., for allegedly engaging in fraudulent and illegal advertising regarding its stem cell procedures.
Through advertising efforts, the clinic led vulnerable patients to believe it could treat a variety of serious medical conditions using the patients’ own stem cells, including, but not limited to: urological diseases, erectile dysfunction, cardiac/pulmonary disease, neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and ALS, various autoimmune diseases such as lupus, and orthopedic conditions. While stem cells hold promise for future use, there is currently no adequate scientific substantiation that stem cells can effectively treat any of these conditions. Despite this, the Defendants charged consumers nearly $4,000 per procedure, with many consumers paying for multiple procedures.
“Misleading vulnerable consumers who are desperate to find a treatment for serious and painful medical conditions is unacceptable, unlawful, and immoral,” said Attorney General Letitia James. “We will continue to investigate these types of clinics that shamelessly add to the suffering of these consumers by charging them thousands of dollars for treatments that they know are unproven.”
The complaint also alleges that Defendants misrepresented that their procedures were FDA-approved, that their patients are participating in an established research study, and that their procedures have been endorsed by several scientific and medical organizations.
In the United States, stem cell products are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”). Currently, the only stem cell-based products that have been approved by the FDA are blood-forming stem cells derived from cord-blood, which have been approved for limited use. Instead, the defendants, used stem cells obtained from the patient’s own adipose tissue, commonly known as fat, for a wide range of conditions.
Until at least late 2018, Park Avenue Stem Cell was affiliated with the Cell Surgical Network, a California corporation that was sued by the FDA in May 2018 for allegedly administering stem cell products that were adulterated or misbranded and not approved. The FDA seeks a permanent injunction against the corporation, a related entity and their two main doctors. As an affiliate, Park Avenue Stem Cell followed the protocols prescribed by CSN.
For more information on important factors to consider when evaluating stem cell therapies, visit the FDA website.
This case is being handled by Special Counsel Mary Alestra, under the supervision of Deputy Bureau Chief Laura J. Levine and Bureau Chief Jane M. Azia, all of the Consumer Frauds and Protection Bureau. The Consumer Frauds and Protection Bureau is overseen by Executive Deputy Attorney General of Economic Justice Christopher D’Angelo.
Attorney General James Files Motion to Block President Trump from Diverting Funds and Resources for Construction of a Border Wall.
20 states file motion for preliminary injunction to safeguard the environment and preserve law enforcement funding.
NEW YORK – New York General Letitia James, as part of a coalition of 20 states led by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, today filed a motion to block the Trump Administration’s attempt to unlawfully divert $1.6 billion in federal funds to build a border wall. The motion was filed in the Northern District of California as part of the coalition’s ongoing lawsuit challenging President Trump’s unconstitutional action to divert funding and resources meant for law enforcement, drug interdiction, and military construction projects. The coalition requests the court immediately stop the Trump Administration from diverting $1.6 billion in funding that Congress intended for state and local law enforcement agencies. Through their motion, the states also seek to protect environmental resources that would be imminently harmed by the construction of a border wall on the southern border in New Mexico.
“Diverting funds from key initiatives in order to fund an unnecessary and unwarranted wall is fundamentally irresponsible, undermines Congressional power, and will hurt every American across this nation,” said Attorney General Letitia James. “We will continue to work with other states in order to prevent this blatant abuse of power.”
In the motion, the coalition asserts that with his unlawful executive actions President Trump has disregarded the will of Congress and separation of powers principles engrained in the U.S. Constitution. The Trump Administration is attempting to ultimately divert up to $6.7 billion in funding through the Department of Treasury’s Forfeiture Fund, the Department of Defense’s counterdrug account, and military construction projects through its declaration of an emergency. These unlawful actions pose significant harm to the states, who have relied on Treasury Forfeiture Funds to purchase needed law enforcement equipment, staffing, and support of ongoing operations. In addition, any diversion of funds and resources toward the construction of a border wall will cause environmental harm to New Mexico and other border states.
The coalition also argues that the Trump Administration’s actions to divert funding:
- Lack statutory authority because the federal government cannot satisfy the criteria it relies on for diversion of the funds and resources;
- Violate the U.S. Constitution’s bedrock separation of powers principles by attempting to usurp Congress’s appropriation powers;
- Disregard the National Environmental Policy Act by proceeding with construction plans in New Mexico without preparing the required environmental impact statement; and
- Pose imminent environmental harm to environmentally sensitive areas on the border of New Mexico where construction of the border wall is imminent.
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