Brooklyn psychiatrist going to jail for 18 months for Medicaid fraud

March 13, 2014

A tearful Brooklyn shrink who lied about treating needy veterans to bilk Medicare out of more than $1 million in unearned reimbursements was sentenced to 18 months in jail Thursday in Brooklyn federal court.

Dr. Mikhail Presman, 56, inflated the number of patients he treated between 2006 and 2013 to suck up extra Medicare money, according to court papers. He was fired from his post at the Brooklyn VA Hospital after his arrest.

Many of the visits never happened, and investigators discovered that he was gallivanting around China with his family during some of the supposed treatments.

“I cannot stress enough how sorry and regretful and embarrassed I am,” Presman told the court Thursday before being sentenced. “Everything I worked so hard to achieve I lost by my own wrongdoing.”

A native of Russia, Presman told the court that he brought his family to America in 1992 and worked hard to establish his practice before greed overtook him.

Judge Leo Glasser — a veteran himself — acknowledged the severity of Presman’s brazen fraud but still sentenced him to 18 months, less than half of the bottom end of federal sentencing guidelines.

“Dr. Presman was hired and paid by the taxpayers to treat those who sacrifice so much for our country — our injured veterans,” said US Attorney Loretta Lynch at the time of his bust.

“As alleged, by defrauding the Medicare program, he betrayed the trust placed in him and stole from the very taxpayers who paid his salary. Far from honoring their sacrifice, Dr. Presman used our veterans as a cover for deceit and fraud.”

Presman has agreed to pay the government $1.2 million in restitution for the money he stole.

Source: Selim Algar, "Doctor gets 18 months for bilking Medicaid out of $1M," New York Post, March 13, 2014.