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TRENTON
- Attorney General Paula T. Dow and Criminal
Justice Director Stephen J. Taylor announced
that an Englewood doctor with a medical
office in Jersey City was indicted today
on charges that he defrauded the Medicaid
program, illegally distributed narcotic
painkillers, and attempted to hire men to
kill three people: his wife, his lover and
a business partner.
According
to Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Ronald
Chillemi, the Division of Criminal Justice
obtained a 14-count state grand jury indictment
charging Dr. Ajit Jayaram, 63, of Englewood,
a licensed physician whose internal medicine
practice is at 295 Martin Luther King Drive
in Jersey City, with three counts of first-degree
attempted murder. In addition, the indictment
charges Jayaram with writing narcotics prescriptions
in exchange for cash and billing Medicaid
for services never provided. His office
manager, Sheema Mickens, 30, of Jersey City,
is also charged in the indictment in connection
with the alleged Medicaid fraud.
During
a Medicaid fraud investigation called Operation
MedScam, conducted by the Office of the
Insurance Fraud Prosecutor and the Jersey
City Police Department, the investigating
agencies obtained information that Jayaram
attempted to hire a man to kill his lover,
Radha Ramaswamy, and a pharmacist, Mukhtar
Ahmed. Jayaram owes Ramaswamy $250,000 and
allegedly was worried his wife would learn
of their affair. Jayaram and Ahmed had a
prior failed business relationship and were
involved in ongoing disputes over a woman.
Jayaram was initially arrested on Oct. 12,
2010. While in Hudson County Jail, he allegedly
tried to hire another man to kill his wife,
Sarasavani Jayaram. He allegedly believed
that if his wife learned of his affair,
she would leave him and take all of his
money. Jayaram was charged by complaint
on April 13, 2011 in the alleged plot to
have his wife murdered. He is in Hudson
County Jail with bail set at $2.5 million.
“This
indictment suggests that nothing was beyond
the realm of this doctor: not Medicaid fraud,
not drug dealing, and not attempting to
have those closest to him murdered,”
said Attorney General Dow. “The allegations
indicate that our investigators put a stop
to a very dangerous man.”
“It
is fairly common for Medicaid fraud investigations
to lead to evidence of other types of crime,
including narcotics offenses, but there
is nothing common about this doctor,”
said Director Taylor. “We allege that,
while already in jail on two counts of attempted
murder, he tried to hire a man to kill his
wife.”
“This
indictment alleges a broad range of serious
crimes, from narcotics distribution to Medicaid
fraud to attempted murder," said Acting
Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Chillemi. "This
case demonstrates that the greed of those
who commit white-collar crimes can lead
to violent acts."
“I
would like to join Director Taylor in commending
all of the officers involved in this investigation,”
said Jersey City Police Chief Thomas Comey.
“During the course of an investigation
into prescription fraud, they uncovered
a murder for hire case and acted swiftly
and diligently to protect all of the targeted
individuals and apprehend the actor.”
The
indictment alleges that on several occasions
between March 1, 2010 and Nov. 1, 2010,
Jayaram wrote prescriptions for the narcotic
painkiller oxcodone for a witness who cooperated
with law enforcement in the investigation.
Jayaram allegedly accepted cash from the
cooperating witness in exchange for the
prescriptions and did not obtain a patient
history or perform any examination of the
witness.
It
is alleged that in connection with the visits
by the witness, Jayaram and Mickens knowingly
conspired with others to receive payments
from Medicaid for claims for medical examinations,
procedures or tests that were never performed
or were not medically necessary. The indictment
charges Jayaram and Mickens with conspiracy
(2nd degree), health care claims fraud (2nd
degree), and two counts of Medicaid fraud
(3rd degree).
In
addition, Jayaram is charged with the three
counts of attempted murder (1st degree),
one count of conspiracy to commit murder
(1st degree), distribution of a controlled
dangerous substance (oxycodone) (2nd degree),
distribution of oxycodone within 500 feet
of a public building (2nd degree), and distribution
of oxycodone within 1,000 feet of a school
(3rd degree). He is charged with making
terroristic threats (3rd degree) for allegedly
leaving messages on Ramaswamy’s answering
machine and making statements during a phone
call threatening to kill her. He is charged
with witness tampering (3rd degree) for
asking a witness in the Hudson County Jail
to falsify his statement to the police.
The
case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorney
General Debra A. Conrad, who presented it
to the state grand jury for the Office of
the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor’s Medicaid
Fraud Control Unit. These individuals are
assigned to the investigation for the OIFP
Medicaid Fraud Control Unit: Detective Kevin
Gannon, Sgt. Frederick Weidman, Detective
Michael Rasar, DAG Conrad and Deputy Attorney
General Erik Daab, Chief of the Medicaid
Fraud Control Unit.
The
following members of the Jersey City Police
Department’s Special Investigation
Unit are assigned to the investigation,
under the supervision of Chief Thomas Comey:
Lt. Fred Younger, Sgt. Anthony Musante,
Sgt. Ed Nestor, Detective Wael Shahid, Detective
Jeff Guilfoyle, Detective Vincent Disbrow,
Police Officer Alex Torres, Police Officer
Chris Dolan, Police Officer Eamon Nally,
Police Officer Joseph Anzivino and Detective
Erik Infantes.
The
Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office
initially handled the murder charges filed
against Jayaram in October so as to maintain
confidentiality regarding the Medicaid fraud
investigation. Attorney General Dow thanked
Assistant Prosecutor Michael D’Andrea
and other members of the Hudson County Prosecutor’s
Office, under the supervision of Prosecutor
Edward J. De Fazio.
First-degree
crimes carry a maximum sentence of 20 years
in state prison and a $200,000 fine, while
second-degree crimes carry a maximum sentence
of 10 years in prison and a $150,000 fine.
Third-degree Medicaid fraud carries a maximum
sentence of three years in prison and a
$10,000 fine. Other third-degree crimes
carry a sentence of up to five years in
prison and a $15,000 fine.
The
indictment is merely an accusation and the
defendants are presumed innocent until proven
guilty. The indictment was handed up in
Superior Court in Mercer County and was
assigned to Hudson County.
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