Prosecutors said the fraud lasted for several years and cost the company more than $1.2 million. The case was investigated by the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office. (File Photo)
An Indian-origin former senior executive at Optum has been found guilty in the United States of running a scheme in which he hired a friend for a job where no work was done and took kickbacks from his salary, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Prosecutors said the fraud lasted for several years and cost the company more than $1.2 million. The case was investigated by the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office.
Who is Karan Gupta?
The FBI identified him as Karan Gupta, 47, a senior director at Optum, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group.
He was convicted after a six-day federal trial on charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and money-laundering conspiracy.
At the time, Gupta earned more than $260,000 a year. He was dismissed by the company in 2019 for a separate matter. The “ghost employee” scheme was uncovered during an internal review.
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What the FBI said about
In a statement, the FBI said Gupta hired “an unqualified friend for a position where the friend did no work and paid half his unearned salary in kickbacks”.
Karan Gupta, age 47, a Senior Director at Optum, a subsidiary of United Health Group, was found guilty after a six day trial on multiple counts, including fraud and money laundering conspiracy, for hiring an unqualified friend for a position where the friend did no work and paid… pic.twitter.com/cgIWXGXvhK
Rick Evanchec of the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office said: “Gupta abused his position of trust as the senior director of a subsidiary of the largest healthcare provider in the United States to defraud his company by hiring a ghost employee for a fictitious position, so that he could collect hundreds of thousands of dollars in kickbacks over many years.”
“The FBI is committed to holding those in positions of power accountable, particularly when the cost of their actions is ultimately passed along to hard-working Americans,” he added.
According to court documents, the scheme began in 2015 when Gupta used his authority to recruit a long-time friend into a managerial role. Prosecutors said the friend was not qualified and that a false résumé was provided.
For nearly four years, the friend did no work but received a salary that started at over $100,000 a year, along with pay raises and bonuses. The US Attorney’s Office said the friend “did no work at all” and rarely used his company computer.
The FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office continues to rigorously investigate allegations of fraud aimed at stealing public funds, and to hold accountable those serving in positions of public trust. The FBI encourages individuals who have information about fraud or public corruption to… pic.twitter.com/9N9WR0hTbQ
In return, more than half of the salary was sent back to Gupta each year as kickbacks. Investigators said the pair used different methods to move the money, including cash deposits and access to a bank card.
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The FBI said the total loss to the company was more than $1.2 million. Sentencing is expected at a later date.
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Prosecutors said the fraud lasted for several years and cost the company more than $1.2 million. The case was investigated by the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office. (File Photo) 
