Texas man admits role in nearly $5 million health care fraud scheme

HOUSTON, TX -- A 57-year-old Houston man has entered a guilty plea in Corpus Christi federal court for conspiring to commit health care fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick.

Ravinder Syal admitted he engaged in a scheme that resulted in the false billing of $4,878,530.92 for services never provided to patients. From Feb. 1, 2018, until March 1, 2020, he acquired physicians’ practices throughout Texas and assumed control of their billing department. He then brought in a company located in India to bill false claims to Medicare, Medicaid and various insurance providers.

Syal would submit false claims for services that were never performed, for nutritional services that were never provided and even for office visits that occurred over holidays when the clinics were actually closed. He would also bill for services that could not even be performed at the clinics he acquired due to lack of equipment.

Syal altered the billing information and added these fraudulent services without the knowledge of the physicians at the respective practices.

As a result of his scheme, Medicare, Medicaid and various insurance providers were billed $4,878,530.92 for services never performed. Syal was overpaid $553,068.65 on the fraudulent claims.

Sentencing has been set for Aug. 10 before U.S. District Judge David S. Morales. At that time, Syal faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

Syal was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.

The FBI and the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy C. Fugate is prosecuting the case.