Wheeling chiropractor among 5 charged in $10.8M health care fraud scheme

A Wheeling chiropractor and two of his relatives are among five people facing federal charges in connection with a $10.8 million health care fraud scheme.

Dr. Vladimir Gordin Jr., his father Vladimir Gordin Sr. and his brother Alexsander Gordin billed insurance for services that were either never performed or were medically unnecessary, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s office.

The trio operated Gordin Medical Center S.C., a chiropractic group at 350 E. Dundee Road in Wheeling, the statement said.

In all, the scheme cost insurance carriers more than $10.8 million over a six-year period, authorities claim.

Some patients knew about the overbilling and were incentivized to participate, prosecutors claim. According to an indictment, they were promised their deductibles would be met at no cost to them, or they got checks from the Gordins with a share of the overbilling proceeds.

Alina Levit, the Gordin’s office manager, is also charged in the case for creating phony “sign-in” sheets that indicated patients were present and received services, when they actually did not visit the office that day, prosecutors claim.

A fifth defendant, Michelle Kobran, owned Ultrasound Mobile Service in Vernon Hills and kicked back money to the Gordins after they referred her patients for medically unnecessary ultrasounds, prosecutors said.

All five defendants are facing multiple counts of health care fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office. Vladimir Gordin Jr., of Northbrook, and his father, of Riverwoods, are also charged with aggravated identity theft.

The fraud charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.