CFO Jeff Atwater Announces Arrests of Unlicensed Miami Accident Clinic Owners in $1.5 Million Fraud Scheme
Contact: Alexis Lambert
(850) 413-2842
CFO Jeff Atwater Announces Arrests of Unlicensed Miami Accident Clinic Owners in $1.5 Million Fraud Scheme
TALLAHASSEE – Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater announced today the arrests of Robbie N. Chamoun, 30, and Nazih Boulos Chamoun, 74, owners of Sky Imaging in North Miami Beach, for operating an unlicensed accident clinic and grand theft stemming from the fraudulent billing of more than $1.5 million in claims to multiple insurance carriers.
“It never ceases to amaze me the great lengths fraudsters will go to circumvent the law and steal the hard-earned money of honest Floridians,” CFO Atwater said. “My office will continue to crack down on these unlicensed clinics that set up shop for the sole purpose of committing fraud.”
A joint investigation by the Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Insurance Fraud, and the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) determined that between Jan. 1, 2011 and March 20, 2012, the Chamouns owned and operated Sky Imaging without the appropriate licensure from the Agency of Health Care Administration (AHCA). The investigation alleged that the Chamouns enlisted a licensed medical professional to sign AHCA paperwork and pose as the owner of the clinic, fraudulently exempting Sky Imaging from AHCA licensure requirements and concealing the true ownership of the clinic.
During this time, the Chamouns submitted billings to multiple insurance carriers resulting in illegal claim payments totaling over $1.5 million. The bills submitted were for the alleged completion and interpretation of MRIs relating to Personal Injury Protection (PIP) claims.
The Chamouns were booked into Miami-Dade County Jail. The Miami-Dade Office of State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle will be prosecuting this case. If convicted on all charges, they each face up to 340 years in prison.
Anyone with information about these or any other incidents of suspected insurance fraud is asked to call 1-800-378-0445. Citizens who provide tips can remain anonymous. The Department of Financial Services to date has awarded almost $275,000 to more than 40 citizens as part of its Anti-Fraud Reward Program. The program rewards individuals up to $25,000 for information that directly leads to an arrest and conviction in an insurance fraud scheme.
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Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater, a statewide elected official, oversees the Department of Financial Services. CFO Atwater’s priorities include fighting financial fraud, abuse and waste in government, reducing government spending and regulatory burdens that chase away businesses, and providing transparency and accountability in spending.
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