A Pennsylvania dentist who, along with dentists, practice owners, and employees, was charged with allegedly running a scheme that tried to defraud Medicaid and U.S. agencies has been detained pending trial after threatening to shoot a prosecutor and her family.
Following a hearing on February 26, U.S. Judge Jeffrey Schmehl granted an emergency motion to revoke the bail of Dr. Niranjan Savani.
On February 24, a pretrial services officer notified management claiming that Savani said he wanted to shoot Assistant U.S. Attorney Lesley Bonney and her family after the prosecution objected to him traveling to India due to the death of his father-in-law, according to the emergency motion to revoke the dentist's bail.
The court found there was "probable cause to believe that Defendant committed a federal crime while on release by threatening a federal prosecutor and her family while she was engaged in the performance of her official duties," according to the judge's order.
In January 2023, Savani and about a dozen dentists, practice owners, and employees were charged with numerous crimes for allegedly operating a scheme that attempted to defraud Medicaid, U.S. immigration authorities, the IRS, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The defendants -- who are part of the Savani Group, a multistate network of 50 dental practices located in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Iowa, and South Carolina -- were charged with healthcare and visa fraud, racketeering, money laundering, and more.
Savani and his brother, Dr. Bhaskar Savani, who is also a licensed dentist, were charged, as well as another brother, Arun Savani, who handled the finances for the Savani Group businesses, which also included several companies focused on research and development.
In January 2023, a U.S. grand jury indicted the following 12 individuals:
- The three Savani brothers mentioned above: Drs. Bhaskar Savani, Niranjan Savani, and Arun Savani
- Sunhil Philip, an independent accountant in Pennsylvania, who handled the accounting for the Savani Group
- Dr. Amen Dhyllon, a licensed dentist in Pennsylvania, who worked for the Savani Group
- Aleksandra Radomiak, a Savani dental practice manager in Pennsylvania
- Dr. Jon Julian, a licensed dentist in South Carolina, who worked for the Savani Group
- Five individuals reportedly involved in office roles: Vivek Savani, Bharatkumar Parasana, Hiteshkumar Goyani, Piyusha Patel, and Susan Malpartida
