Criminal Investigative Updates

Anthony Green, of New Port Richey, Florida, was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for theft of government funds. Green’s mother received monthly VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation. Following her death in October 2014, the VA continued to send compensation checks to her address. Green forged her signature and deposited the checks into a bank account he controlled. In total, Green knowingly and willfully stole or converted approximately $160,000. He was ordered to pay restitution.

Dr. Donald Salzberg, of Avon, Connecticut, was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release for receiving kickbacks in exchange for ordering medically unnecessary brain scans. Salzberg was also ordered to pay $1.34 million in restitution to Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurers. In July 2022, Salzberg pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to receive kickbacks. The scheme resulted in fraudulent bills of over $3 million to Medicare and other insurance programs and companies. The VA OIG, the FBI, the IRS Criminal Investigation, the Department of Health and Human Services OIG, the US Postal Inspection Service, and the Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration investigated this case.   

In May 2018, a relator filed a qui tam complaint against CHI Franciscan Health Care Systems (CHI) in Washington. The lawsuit alleged that from January 2013 to June 2018, orthopedic surgeon Dr. Kevin Schoenfelder had been performing medically unnecessary spinal surgeries. The surgeries were billed to Medicare, TRICARE, and VA. CHI will pay $745,654 and Scheonfelder will pay $197,054 to resolve the matter. Schoenfelder retired in 2018 and surrendered his physician license in 2019. The case was investigated by the VA OIG, Department of Health and Human Services OIG, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and the Department of Justice.

Robert J. Seifert, Jr., of Troy, New York, was indicted on a charge that he groped a paramedic at the Albany Stratton VA Medical Center in New York. The charge filed against Seifert carries a maximum term of two years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release up to one year. This case is being investigated by the VA OIG and the VA Police Service at the medical center. 

Christopher Stultz, of Antrim, New Hampshire, was sentenced to 18 months in prison and three years’ supervised release for faking a disability to receive veteran’s benefits. He was also ordered to pay more than $600,000 in restitution. He previously pleaded guilty to making false statements. Beginning in January 2003, Stultz falsely represented to VA that he was no longer able to use his feet. This caused the VA to rate him as 100 percent disabled, increasing his monthly VA benefits. In addition, he was awarded funding through the VA’s Automobile Adaptive Equipment program to purchase special cars and vehicle adaptations designed to help mobility-impaired veterans. The VA OIG investigated this case.