Lady Justice
Federal authorities have arrested two men, Ramon Apellaniz, also known as “Kristopher Rockefeller,” and Suhail Aponte, for their alleged involvement in a multi-million dollar health care fraud scheme targeting Connecticut’s Medicaid program.
Apellaniz, 39, of Middletown, and Aponte, 38, of Wethersfield, were charged with conspiracy and health care fraud offenses. The charges stem from their involvement in submitting fraudulent claims for Medicaid services between 2021 and 2024, defrauding the Connecticut Medicaid program by billing for services that were either not rendered or misrepresented. The pair reportedly submitted over $1.8 million in false claims.
An investigation revealed that Apellaniz, the former head of The Gemini Project LLC, which provided counseling services, collaborated with Aponte, the manager of Minds Cornerstone LLC, a group specializing in autism. Together, they allegedly submitted fraudulent Medicaid claims for applied behavior analysis (ABA) services intended for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Although Apellaniz had no formal association with Minds Cornerstone, he reportedly managed the company using a false identity, even while serving time for a previous health care fraud conviction.
The fraudulent claims included billing for services that were never performed, improper supervision billing, and services charged to patients who were already in inpatient care. Apellaniz is accused of using some of the proceeds to pay restitution for his earlier fraud conviction.
Both men were arrested, with Apellaniz detained pending a hearing, and Aponte released on a $100,000 bond. They face up to 10 years in prison if convicted of the charges.
