A pharmacy owner and an administrator from Union City, New Jersey, have been sentenced for their involvement in schemes to defraud pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and health care providers out of more than $65 million. U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced that Samuel "Sam" Khaimov, 52, and Yana Shtindler, 48, both from Glen Head, New York, received prison sentences after pleading guilty.
Khaimov was sentenced to 87 months in prison for conspiring to commit health care fraud and violating the federal anti-kickback statute. His sentence includes separate three-year terms of supervised release running concurrently. Shtindler was sentenced to 72 months in prison for conspiring to commit health care fraud, followed by three years of supervised release.
The Prime Aid Pharmacies operated as specialty pharmacies in Union City, New Jersey, and the Bronx, New York. They processed expensive medications for conditions such as Hepatitis C and rheumatoid arthritis. Khaimov co-owned Prime Aid Union City and served as the lead pharmacist at Prime Aid Bronx. Shtindler was the administrator at Prime Aid Union City.
According to court documents and statements made in court, starting in 2009, Khaimov and other employees paid bribes to doctors to direct prescriptions to Prime Aid Pharmacies. The bribes included cash payments, checks, wire transfers, expensive meals, and other valuable items.
Prime Aid Union City also engaged in fraudulent billing practices under the direction of Sevumyants, Shtindler, and Khaimov. They billed health benefit providers for medications never provided to patients. From 2013 through 2017, they received at least $65 million in reimbursements for undispensed medications.
Routine audits by PBMs revealed these practices. In response, Shtindler instructed employees to falsify records submitted to PMBs. Additionally, Sevumyants forged shipping records with Shtindler's knowledge.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents from various agencies for their roles in investigating this case leading to guilty pleas.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron L. Webman of the Economic Crimes Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark and Martha K. Nye of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Trenton.
Khaimov’s defense counsel: Jenny Kramer from New York; Shtindler’s defense counsel: Lawrence Lustberg from Newark.
