The Chief Executive Officer of Dana Group Associates, Miguel Saravia, was sentenced in Boston federal court for defrauding healthcare benefit programs through false billing practices. Saravia, who also served as the former Chief Operating Officer of Prime Behavioral Health, received a sentence of three and a half months in prison followed by one year of supervised release. Additionally, he was ordered to pay restitution amounting to $561,141.89.
In September 2024, Saravia admitted guilt to six counts of healthcare fraud. Between 2017 and 2022, he directed untrained individuals to enter incorrect Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes for therapy services that were not provided and instructed them to upcode CPT codes used for psychotherapy visits. Consequently, claims were submitted falsely for treatments either not rendered or portrayed as more complex than what was actually provided.
The announcement came from United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Boston Division; Insurance Fraud Bureau Executive Director Anthony DiPaolo; and Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge at the IRS Criminal Investigations in Boston. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly B. Lawrence and Mackenzie A. Queenin from the Health Care Fraud Unit alongside Lindsey Ross and Steven Sharobem from the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit.
