U.S. charges Russian diplomats with defrauding Medicaid in N.Y.C.

Federal officials say 49 Russian diplomats or their spouses defrauded Medicaid of about $1.5 million in improperly awarded benefits over ten years in New York City.

The New York Times: U.S. Says Diplomats Defrauded Medicaid
The contours of the alleged insurance fraud seemed unusual enough: The participants, men and women, were accused of improperly seeking Medicaid benefits for pregnancies, births and postnatal care. That the defendants were Russian was, perhaps, not altogether unusual, given the number of recent prosecutions for similar insurance schemes perpetrated in New York by immigrants from the former Soviet Union (Weisner, 12/5).

Los Angeles Times: Russian Diplomats Accused Of Medicaid Fraud In New York
Current and former Russian diplomats in New York claimed poverty to fraudulently collect Medicaid for their pregnant wives and children while shopping at Prada and Tiffany's and taking cruise vacations, the U.S. government charged Thursday. The Justice Department said 49 Russians or their spouses currently or formerly attached to the Russian Consulate, United Nations or trade missions illegally collected $1.5 million in benefits over about a decade in New York City (Phelps, 12/5).

The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Accuses Russian Diplomats, Spouses of Medicaid Fraud
Federal prosecutors have accused current and former Russian diplomats and their spouses of participating in an alleged scheme that garnered nearly $1.5 million dollars in fraudulent Medicaid benefits. The criminal complaint against 49 current or former Russian diplomats and their spouses, announced on Thursday, is likely to further pressure already sour relations between Moscow and Washington (Matthews, 12/5).