A San Diego neurosurgeon Friday denied charges he was involved in what prosecutors allege was a nearly $100 million workers’ compensation insurance fraud scheme.
An attorney for 55-year-old Dr. Vrijesh Tantuwaya issued a statement saying he received no money from the co-defendants in the case and has filed a civil lawsuit against them claiming to be a victim himself.
The three other defendants in the case, which was filed July 30, David Wayne Fish, 55, of Laguna Niguel, Robert Young Lee, 61, of Rancho Mirage, and Martin Brill, 78, of Los Angeles.
Tantuwaya is a “respected and highly skilled neurosurgeon with a 22-year unblemished career,” according to the statement from his attorney, Scott Simmons.
“Dr. Tantuwaya maintains his complete innocence and is confident that the evidence will demonstrate his lack of involvement in any illegal activities,” Simmons said in the statement.
The physician “did not receive a single penny in kickbacks” in the alleged fraud case, Simmons said.
“It will become clear that he was a victim of fraud himself and, in fact, has filed a civil lawsuit against Southern California Injured Workers, the company formed by Martin Brill, Robert Lee, and allegedly run by David Fish, for conspiracy to defraud and fraud concealment, among other causes of action,” Simmons said.
“As soon as these allegations came to light, Dr. Tantuwaya fully cooperated with DA investigators, confident that the facts will vindicate him,” Simmons said.
Fish has been twice convicted of workers’ compensation insurance fraud and was barred from the system, prosecutors alleged.
Fish, Brill and Lee founded Southern California Injured Workers, which offered a variety of medical management services such as marketing, billing and collections, prosecutors said. Fish was listed as a consultant, but he was in charge of the company, prosecutors alleged.
The three, along with the neurosurgeon Tantuwaya, also started Injured Workers Medical Group, prosecutors said.
The doctor founded Injured Workers’ Medical Group “with a clear mission: to provide comprehensive care and support for injured workers whose claims have been denied by insurance and have no other avenue to receive medical care,” Simmons said.
The four are charged with 13 felony counts including referral of clients for compensation, conspiracy, false and fraudulent claims and insurance fraud, prosecutors said.
They are accused of billing nearly $100 million to multiple insurance carriers and were illegally paid referral fees from medical and pharmaceutical providers, prosecutors said.
Defense attorneys for the three other defendants did not immediately respond to requests for comment.