West Hempstead Man Charged After Stealing Nearly $100K of Taxpayer Money

Herschman billed Medicare for services he never performed

MINEOLA, NY – Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice announced today that a West Hempstead anesthesiologist is facing grand larceny and fraud charges after billing Medicare for $98,539 in psychological counseling he never performed.

Zvi Herschman, 49, was arrested this morning and charged with Grand Larceny in the Second Degree and Insurance Fraud in the Second Degree. Herschman faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted. He is scheduled to be arraigned later today in First District Court, Hempstead. This arrest is the result of a joint investigation with the United States Health and Human Services Inspector General’s Office (HHS-OIG).

Rice said that between January 3, 2003 and March 20, 2007, Herschman submitted 5,956 bills to the Medicare program for a variety of psychological services that he allegedly rendered to patients. In reality, Herschman performed no such services, and was unqualified to both perform these services and submit bills to Medicare.

“It is a shameful abuse of the public trust when a medical professional uses his position to line his own pockets at the expense of the taxpayer,” Rice said. “With the assistance of agencies like the HHS-OIG, my office will continue to aggressively prosecute men and women who steal our tax dollars.”

“HHS-OIG commends the work of the Nassau County DA's office,” said Special Agent in Charge Tom O'Donnell. “This arrest reaffirms our message to all healthcare professionals. If you commit fraud, you will be prosecuted, whether it be at the federal, state or local level.”

Assistant District Attorney Andrew Weiss of the DA’s Government & Consumer Frauds is handling the case for the DA’s Office. Herschman is being represented by Mark Baker, Esq.

The charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.