A Middletown man, Ramon Apellaniz, also known as "Kristopher Rockefeller" and "Kris," has pleaded guilty to a health care fraud offense in connection with a scheme that defrauded Connecticut's Medicaid program of over $1.8 million. The announcement was made by David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
Apellaniz, 40, waived his right to be indicted and entered his plea before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport. The fraudulent activities were carried out through Minds Cornerstone LLC, an Autism Specialist Group registered in June 2021 by Suhail Aponte.
According to court documents, Apellaniz previously operated The Gemini Project, LLC in Newington without a valid license and was charged with larceny and health care fraud in 2020. He was sentenced to eight years in prison with execution suspended after 15 months.
The investigation revealed that Apellaniz conspired with Aponte to submit false claims for applied behavior analysis services purportedly rendered to children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder between November 2021 and January 2025. These claims resulted in a loss of approximately $1,876,617 to the Connecticut Department of Social Services.
Apellaniz has been detained since his arrest on January 16, 2025, and is scheduled for sentencing on August 15. He faces up to ten years imprisonment for conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
Suhail Aponte also pleaded guilty on April 30 and awaits sentencing. Both individuals have agreed to the forfeiture of approximately $469,000 seized during the investigation along with their interest in additional bank accounts and two parcels of land in Hartford.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Huang following an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and other agencies.
