Nearly two dozen people have been indicted in an alleged Medicaid fraud scheme that targeted some of the city's most vulnerable residents.
Investigators say 23 defendants, including nine doctors, recruited people to undergo unnecessary tests at corrupt clinics in exchange for sneakers.
The Brooklyn District Attorney's office says the recruiters targeted people with medicaid cards at homeless shelters and welfare offices.
Officials say the clinics would prescribe the patients with foot insoles or ankle braces in order to cash out on fraudulent insurance claims.
"This was all put together—this structure—was put together to defraud Medicare and Medicaid. And these people were used as pawns because they wanted footwear, basic essentials for life," said Brooklyn District Attorney Kenneth Thompson.
The recruiters operated throughout the city.
Investigators say the defendants fraudulently billed Medicaid nearly $7 million over a two year period.