By: Richard L. Smith
Jeffrey Tamulski, 50, a resident of Tampa, Florida, has confessed to participating in a complex conspiracy involving the exchange of kickbacks and bribes with laboratories for the referral of patient DNA samples for genetic testing.
This announcement was made by Attorney for the United States, Vikas Khanna.
Tamulski entered his guilty plea on March 26, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti in Newark federal court, facing charges of conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States by violating the Anti-Kickback Statute.
Federal officials said this plea is part of a broader investigation that initially indicted Tamulski along with five co-defendants in September 2019, uncovering a scheme intertwined with healthcare fraud.
Court documents and statements reveal that Tamulski, on behalf of certain laboratories, orchestrated a referral network through outside marketing groups, notably including Ark Laboratory Network LLC, a company controlled by his co-conspirators.
These groups were instrumental in directing patients’ DNA samples to laboratories for genetic testing under kickback agreements, where bribes were paid to Ark in return for these referrals.
The arrangements were concealed through the issuance of sham invoices, purportedly for services rendered, masking the predetermined bribe amounts which were often tied to the revenue generated from Medicare or specific payments for each DNA sample referred.
From January 2018 through January 2019, this illicit arrangement led Medicare to pay out approximately $4.6 million for genetic tests generated from the referrals and DNA samples facilitated by Ark, resulting in at least $1.8 million in bribes paid to Ark by the laboratories.
Tamulski now faces a potential maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine up to $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, with his sentencing scheduled for August 6, 2024.
Federal officials said this case marks a significant crackdown on fraudulent activities within the healthcare sector, particularly in the burgeoning field of genetic testing.