Two Indian-origin brothers from Pennsylvania, Bhaskar Savani (60) and Arun Savani (58), have been found guilty in a massive multi-state racketeering case involving visa fraud, healthcare fraud, money laundering and tax evasion.
According to prosecutors, the brothers operated a network of businesses known as the Savani Group, which generated millions of dollars through various illegal schemes over several years.
Bhaskar Savani, a dentist by profession, was closely linked to the group’s medical-related fraud. Authorities said the brothers ran a long-standing criminal enterprise through multiple companies and associated entities, using deceptive practices and misusing government programmes to enrich themselves.
Prosecutors said the Savani Group filed fraudulent H-1B visa applications to recruit foreign workers, many of whom were from India.
Once hired, the workers were allegedly forced to pay various fees and return portions of their wages to the company, effectively exploiting their dependency on the employer for immigration status.
The brothers were also found guilty of large-scale healthcare fraud involving the Medicaid programme. Investigators said the Savani Group continued to collect Medicaid payments even after their dental practices had been terminated from Medicaid insurance contracts.
They allegedly bypassed restrictions by operating through nominee-owned dental practices that billed Medicaid on their behalf. Officials said the scheme resulted in more than $30 million in fraudulent Medicaid claims.
Authorities also discovered that the group submitted false Medicaid bills using another dentist’s National Provider Identifier (NPI) on days when that dentist was actually outside the United States.
In several cases, procedures were allegedly carried out by uncredentialed dentists, further violating healthcare regulations.
Prosecutors said the Savani brothers laundered the proceeds of their fraud through a complex network of corporate bank accounts connected to multiple Savani Group entities.
The investigation also uncovered tax and wire fraud. Authorities said the brothers failed to pay taxes on around $1.6 million in personal income and $1.1 million in unreported employee income.
They allegedly disguised personal expenses such as college tuition payments, property taxes and maintenance costs for their homes as business expenses.
In another disturbing allegation, investigators found that the group used prototype dental implants labelled “Not For Human Use” and implanted them in patients without their knowledge or consent. These devices had not been cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration.
Interestingly, despite being under investigation and later charged in 2023, the brothers had posted on social media about meeting FBI Director Kash Patel and congratulated him on his appointment.
Bhaskar Savani now faces a statutory maximum sentence of 420 years in prison, while Arun Savani faces up to 415 years. An associate of the brothers, Aleksandra Radomiak, was also convicted and faces up to 40 years in prison along with possible fines.
The brothers are scheduled to be sentenced in July 2026, with Bhaskar Savani set to appear on July 8 and Arun Savani on July 9.