Occupational Therapist In Astoria Arrested After Billing Scheme: Feds

ASTORIA, QUEENS — An occupational therapist from Astoria who participated in a Medicare and Medicaid billing scheme was arrested Monday, federal prosecutors said.

Carlo Elomina Garcia, a licensed occupational therapist, was charged with fraud after his company billed Medicare and Medicaid for over $3.9 million in occupational therapy services that were not eligible for reimbursement or were not provided at all, U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said.

“Federal health care programs are designed to provide access to high-quality care to patients nationwide," Christian J. Schrank, Deputy Inspector General for Investigations, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General.

"When bad actors attempt to exploit those measures for illicit financial gain, they put greed before the needs and safety of their patients, and take valuable resources away from their intended recipients," he said.

Garcia's office was located at 62-54 97th Place.

Garcia, 51, was paid over $1.6 million for services that were not provided as billed, including repeatedly billing for over 24 hours of one-on-one occupational therapy services in a single day, from May 2017 through June 2021, Peace said.

He was released on a $25,000 bond pending trial, prosecutors said.