Brooklyn, NY – A federal magistrate judge has granted GEICO’s request to certify contempt against two doctors who ignored court-ordered subpoenas in a sprawling $3.5 million insurance fraud lawsuit.
Doctors skipped depositions despite subpoenas
The case, filed in December 2023, accuses Harbor Medical Group, Confident Medical Services, Coastal Medical, and others of orchestrating a scheme to bill fraudulent no-fault insurance charges through unnecessary and non-reimbursable medical services.
Non-parties Dr. Lily Zarhin and Dr. Jean Baptiste-Simeon were subpoenaed for depositions in April 2025 but failed to appear. The court issued an order in May directing compliance, but both doctors again ignored the directive and did not respond to GEICO’s motions.
Court moves toward sanctions
Magistrate Judge Anne Y. Shields found that the doctors’ continued noncompliance justified certifying contempt. The ruling allows GEICO to seek monetary sanctions for wasted time and resources as the fraud case proceeds against the named defendants, some of whom have already defaulted.
Fraud case still active
The underlying litigation, Government Employees Insurance Co. v. Harbor Medical Group, P.C., continues in the Eastern District of New York. The insurer alleges defendants funneled millions in false claims through medical entities, using shell companies and financial groups to conceal the activity.
Key Points
- GEICO alleges over $3.5M in fraudulent no-fault insurance charges tied to medical groups.
- Two subpoenaed doctors ignored deposition orders despite repeated court directives.
- Magistrate Judge Anne Shields certified contempt, opening the door for sanctions.
