{"page":"\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/resources-572d6a42.css\" /\u003e\n\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/lp_boclips_stylesheets-f4d0de30.css\" media=\"all\" /\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-title='Federal prosecutors say dozens of current or former Russian diplomats and their spouses lied about their incomes to get the U.S. government to pay their health care bills with money meant for the poor. (Dec. 5)' data-url='/boclips/videos/5c54c31cd8eafeecae15ed22' data-video-url='/boclips/videos/5c54c31cd8eafeecae15ed22' id='bo_player_modal'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='boclips-resource-page modal-dialog panel-container'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='react-notifications-root'\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-header'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-type'\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fai fa-regular fa-circle-play'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\nVideo\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch1 class='rp-title' id='video-title'\u003e\nFederal prosecutors say dozens of current or former Russian diplomats and their spouses lied about their incomes to get the U.S. government to pay their health care bills with money meant for the poor. (Dec. 5)\n\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-actions'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='mr-1'\u003e\n\u003ca class=\"btn btn-success\" data-posthog-event=\"Signup: LP Signup Activity\" data-posthog-location=\"body_link_boclips\" data-remote=\"true\" href=\"/subscription/new\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGet Free Access\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e for 10 Days\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e!\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-body'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-info'\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-label='Hide resource details' class='rp-hide-info' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u0026times;\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Expand resource details' class='rp-expand-info fai fa-solid fa-up-right-and-down-left-from-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Compress resource details' class='rp-compress-info fai fa-solid fa-down-left-and-up-right-to-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-rating'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='resource-pool'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-label'\u003ePublisher:\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-name'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='text'\u003e\u003ca data-publisher-id=\"30356011\" href=\"/search?publisher_ids%5B%5D=30356011\"\u003eCurated Video\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-description'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='short-description'\u003eDozens of current or former Russian diplomats and their spouses enjoyed luxury vacations and spent tens of thousands of dollars on concert tickets, fine clothing and helicopter rides as they lied about their incomes to get the government...\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='full-description hide'\u003eDozens of current or former Russian diplomats and their spouses enjoyed luxury vacations and spent tens of thousands of dollars on concert tickets, fine clothing and helicopter rides as they lied about their incomes to get the government to pay their health care bills with money meant for the poor, federal prosecutors said Thursday. \u003cbr/\u003eThe diplomats were among 49 individuals charged in a complaint unsealed in federal court in Manhattan, though no arrests were made and only 11 of the diplomats and their spouses remained in the United States. \u003cbr/\u003eThe complaint said Medicaid, a health care program for the poor, lost about $1.5 million in the scheme since 2004.\u003cbr/\u003e\"Diplomacy should be about extending hands, not picking pockets in the host country,\" U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara told a Manhattan news conference. He called it a \"shameful and systemic corruption.\"\u003cbr/\u003eRussian officials at the United Nations did not immediately comment.\u003cbr/\u003eThe complaint alleges that the defendants submitted fraudulent applications for medical benefits for pregnancies, births and care for young children.\u003cbr/\u003eFederal prosecutors said the diplomats qualified for Medicaid benefits by underreporting their income, often by tens of thousands of dollars.\u003cbr/\u003eBharara said it was a case where arrests would normally be made, if it wasn't for diplomatic immunity. Still, he added, participation in crimes by diplomats generally leads to expulsion from a country.\u003cbr/\u003eIn court papers, FBI agent Jeremy Robertson described an 18-month investigation, saying investigators had discovered a pattern of falsified applications. \u003cbr/\u003eHe said 58 of the 63 births attributed to Russian diplomats and their spouses in New York City between 2004 and 2013 were funded through Medicaid, which is largely federally funded but includes money from state and local governments.\u003cbr/\u003eRobertson wrote that the diplomats and their spouses generally underreported household income to an amount below the applicable Medicaid eligibility level, and some of them lied about the citizenship status of their children to obtain continuing health coverage for them.\u003cbr/\u003eMeanwhile, the diplomats and their spouses spent tens of thousands of dollars on vacations, fancy watches, expensive jewelry and designer clothing at luxury retail stores including Bloomingdale's, Tiffany \u0026amp;amp; Co., Jimmy Choo, Swarovski and others, the court papers said.\u003cbr/\u003eThe complaint said they also spent tens of thousands of dollars on electronic merchandise at Apple Inc. stores and elsewhere.\u003cbr/\u003eAuthorities said they also bought concert tickets, robotic cleaning devices and chartered helicopters.\u003cbr/\u003eCourt papers noted that prior to June 2011 Russian diplomats including some of the defendants received their salaries in cash. \u003cbr/\u003eThe complaint said diplomats underreported their incomes to qualify for Medicaid but gave more accurate descriptions of salaries to qualify for credit cards.\u003cbr/\u003eCharges in the criminal complaint included conspiracy to commit health care fraud, conspiracy to steal government funds and make false statements relating to health care matters.\u003cbr/\u003eBharara had a warning for other countries. \u003cbr/\u003e\"Any other country that has diplomats engaging in this kind of fraud should now be on notice that it will be exposed and the conduct will be charged criminally. It will not be tolerated,\" Bharara said.\u003cbr/\u003eEnd.\u003cbr/\u003eAP Television News\u003cbr/\u003eNew York - December 5, 2013 \u003cbr/\u003e1. Wide, U.S. Attorney at podium during press conference\u003cbr/\u003e2. Soundbite (English): Preet Bharara, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York:\u003cbr/\u003e\"The scam exploited a weakness in the Medicaid system, and the charges expose shameful, and systemic corruption among Russian diplomats in New York.\"\u003cbr/\u003e3. Close, sign on stand detailing fraud charges\u003cbr/\u003e4. Soundbite (English): Preet Bharara, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York:\u003cbr/\u003e\"Exploiting their positions here in New York the defendants and others filed scores of fraudulent applications with Medicaid for benefits to cover expenses relating to pre-natal care and child birth.\"\u003cbr/\u003e5. Wide, cutaway of television cameras\u003cbr/\u003e6. Soundbite (English): Preet Bharara, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York:\u003cbr/\u003e\"Diplomacy should be about extending hands, not picking pockets in the host country.\"\u003cbr/\u003e7. Wide, U.S. Attorney at podium\u003cbr/\u003e8. Soundbite (English): Preet Bharara, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York:\u003cbr/\u003e\"Any other country that has diplomats engaging in this kind of fraud should now be on notice that it will be exposed and the conduct will be charged criminally. It will not be tolerated.\"\u003cbr/\u003e9. 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