Crime & Safety

Moorestown Man Sentenced to Nearly Four Years in Prison for Bribing Doctors

Ashokkumar Babaria, 64, paid doctors to refer patients to his diagnostic testing center.

A Moorestown man was sentenced to three years, 10 months in prison and the forfeiture of over $2 million for overseeing a scheme in which patients bribed doctors for testing referrals, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced on Thursday.

Ashokkumar Babaria, 64, a radiologist who owned and operated a diagnostic testing center in Orange, previously pleaded guilty to an information charging him with one count of offering and paying doctors and other health care providers illegal cash kickbacks for patient referrals in violation of the federal health care anti-kickback statute.  

He was also sentenced to three years supervised release, the forfeiture of $2,014,601 and he received a $25,000 fine.

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Barbaria was the owner and medical director of Orange Community MRI LLC (Orange MRI), a facility that provided diagnostic testing services, such as MRIs, CAT Scans, ultrasounds, echocardiograms and dual-emission X-ray scans, known as “DEXA Scans.”

Between 2008 and 2011, his company made nearly $2 million in corrupt revenues from Medicare and Medicaid for tests referred to Orange MRI by doctors who had been bribed, according to documents filed and statements made in court.

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Barbaria negotiated, approved and paid the bribes and provided money for his subordinates to do the same.

Among the incidents Barbaria pleaded guilty to included paying one doctor about $100 for each of his MRI referrals nd another doctor $75 for each MRI referral and $25 for each ultrasound or DEXA scan referral.

Barbaria is one of 17 people who have been convicted as a result of this investigation. 

Including Babaria, 15 people have pleaded guilty. Two doctors were convicted at trial: Chikenzie Onyenso, 55, of Randolph, on Oct. 15, 2013; and Maryam Jafari, 43, of Hoboken, on Feb. 4, 2014. 

Additionally, 14 health care providers have agreed to forfeit a total of $370,960 in illegal kickbacks. Former Orange MRI executive director Chirag Patel, 38, of Warren, agreed to forfeit an additional $89,180 in corrupt gains.


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