Bensonhurst Podiatrist To Be Sentenced In Medicare Fraud Scheme

Dr. Simon Levich, a Staten Island resident who owned and operated Avenue P Medical, a podiatrist office, is facing sentencing after an arrest during which he was accused of hundreds of fraudulently-billed Medicare hours and over $100,000 in collected fees.

Levich was arrested in 2009 and accused of dozens of crimes that occurred between September of 2006 through December 2008, according to SI Live.com.

Claims include: Billing Medicare for over 160 hours of work in a single day, charging for surgical procedures when clients only received whirlpool treatment, submitting billing for doctors who no longer worked there and a host of other bogus medical services.

Levich plead guilty for using another doctor’s identification number to file a false tax return.

Michael Rosen, Levich’s lawyer, wants most of the allegations against his client stricken from the record. He also wants an “alternative” non-jail sentence for Levich.

Levich has no other black spots on his medical licensing record. Further, he’s been operating at his medical center at 220 Avenue P since being arrested.

According to prosecutors and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gina Parlovecchio, since his arrest, Levich “flout[ed]” Medicare regulations by providing free cosmetology, acupuncture and massage services to Medicare beneficiaries to influence their choice of a Medicare provider.”

They believe this shows his disregard for the rules of Medicare.

His lawyer, however, said that the latest claims made by the prosecutors are “desperate, 11th hour attempt at smearing, again, Dr. Levich.”