Physicians plead guilty in massive test referral scheme that doled out millions in bribes, fraudulent lab business

Five New Jersey area doctors have admitted taking bribes as part of a lengthy test referral scheme operated by Biodiagnostic Laboratory Services in Parsippany, New Jersey, its president and numerous associates, the Department of Justice announced this week.

Pediatrician George Roussis of Staten Island, New York; OB/GYN Nicholas Roussis of Staten Island; Internists Jorge J. Figueroa of Wayne, New Jersey and Basel Batarseh of Franklin Lakes, New Jersey admitted their guilt in Newark federal court and were charged with one count each of accepting bribes in violation of the Federal Travel Act. Internist Yousef Zibdie of Wayne, New Jersey pleaded guilty to 11 counts including participating in the bribery conspiracy, violating the Federal Anti-Kickback statute, violating the Federal Travel Act, honest services wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, the DOJ said.

Citing court documents and statements, the DOJ said both Roussis brothers had practices in Staten Island and accepted cash payments totaling approximately $175,000 from BLS employees and associates between October 2010 and April 2013. They also compelled BLS to pay for adult entertainment and even sex acts, according to the DOJ.

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Figueroa's bribe payments totaled roughly $200,000 between May 2007 and April 2013. Figueroa generated more than $1,400,000 in lab business for BLS. Batarseh received a monthly bribe check for $3,200, netting more than $104,000 in total between November 2007 and August 2010.

Zibdie, an internal medicine doctor with a practice in Woodland Park, New Jersey, accepted monthly bribe checks totaling approximately $80,000 from BLS employees and associates, including co-defendant Kristina Hamdan.

The doctors in turn referred various patient tests to BLS, generating more than $3.9 million in lab business for BLS. In total, the investigation has yielded 50 convictions,  36 of them being doctors, which its organizers admitted involved millions in bribes and more than $100 million in payments to BLS from Medicare and various private insurance companies. BLS is no longer operational, and was required to forfeit all assets.

"It is believed to be the largest number of medical professionals ever prosecuted in a bribery case," the DOJ said in a statement.

The five defendants are scheduled to be sentenced in December.

Twitter: @BethJSanborn