Diagnostic lab indicted on fraud, tax charges

Michelle Swafford

Friday, March 4, 2005 | 11:10 a.m.

A California-based diagnostic lab that operated in the Las Vegas Valley has been indicted in Las Vegas on charges of fraud, money laundering and tax evasion charges, the U.S. attorney's office for the District of Nevada said Thursday.

SDI Future Health Inc., which is based in Westlake Village, Calif., operated labs in Southern Nevada from January 1999 through January 2002. The locations of the area labs was not readily available, the U.S. Attorney's office said.

Federal prosecutors charged the company and its top California executives, Todd Kaplan and Jack Brunk with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud; 124 counts of health care fraud; one count of violating the Medicare Anti-Kickback statute; one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering; and 10 counts of attempt to evade or defeat tax, the U.S. Attorney's office said a in press release.

The executives could face up to 20 years in prison and fines of $250,000 on each of the health care fraud and money laundering charges; and up to five years in prison and fines of $250,000 on the anti-kickback and tax evasion charges, according to the press release.

The U.S. attorney's office alleges that between January 1999 and January 2002, the company -- a clinic that marketed tests for sleep apnea and heart monitoring -- defrauded Medicare Blue Cross Blue Shield and Sierra Health Services Inc. of money and property, the release said.