A group of four individuals were charged in connection with a wide-reaching insurance fraud scheme that defrauded New York’s no-fault insurance system of more than $11 million.
Kenan Tariverdi, 55, and Nazim Tariverdi, 32, of Staten Island, NY; Dilshod Islamov, 43, of Brooklyn, NY; and Alvaro Geovanni Quijada-Lemus, 38, of Holmdel, NJ, were named in an indictment unsealed Oct. 14, that included charges of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering, according to U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams in a news release.
According to the indictment, Kenan Tariverdi, Nazim Tariverdi and Islamov orchestrated an elaborate scheme to exploit New York's no-fault insurance law, which allows individuals involved in vehicle accidents to receive up to $50,000 in benefits per person, regardless of fault. The defendants allegedly operated medical corporations that appeared to be owned by licensed professionals but were actually controlled by them, enabling fraudulent insurance claims for services never performed.
Quijada-Lemus was an unlicensed check casher who, in exchange for a fee, allegedly provided cash in exchange for checks the shell companies. He sold about 50 checks from the shell companies for about $200,000 to an individual cooperating with law enforcement.
“No fault insurance fraud schemes raise costs for everyone and exploit a system designed to make health care more accessible,” Williams said in the news release.
If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years in prison on multiple charges.
