A Manhattan doctor who disappeared in a mysterious midnight boating accident has been branded a “liar” by an ex-girlfriend who had set up a fraudulent financial system since college.
Marvin Moy, 51, is one of several doctors arrested in January for alleged involvement in the $100 million health insurance scam in which they pressured car accident victims to seek medical treatment at their facilities.
The father-of-one was reported missing in the early hours of October 13 after setting off on a fishing trip with a friend on his boat Sure Shot – a week before he was due to appear in court.
Friends previously said they were shocked by his apparent death and hoped he was “shipwrecked on a small rock” after disappearing from the boat without a trace.
Marvin Moy, a Hempstead, New York, practicing physical medicine and rehabilitation physician, was reported missing in the early hours of October 13, just hours after boarding his boat, the Sure Shot, on an overnight fishing trip was
Moy, meanwhile, was nowhere to be found, with searches lasting more than 30 hours and covering 4,830 nautical miles to try to locate the missing man
But a former friend told that she was “not at all surprised” to hear about the allegations Moy has faced – she claimed he had previously stolen thousands of dollars from his grandmother.
Moy, who attended NYU, pretended to his family that he was attending classes to get into medical school, but was actually traveling by boat.
The avid fisherman requested a refund from the exclusive school within days of his grandparents paying his tuition and used the money to buy items from his boat.
Moy, a physician and rehabilitation physician practicing in Hempstead, New York, was on the boat with a passenger who was recovered by the Coast Guard.
Rescue workers reported encountering an oil slick and debris at the scene of the accident about 25 miles off the coast of Fire Island.
Moy disappeared on October 13, just hours after leaving for a night fishing trip aboard his boat, the Sure Shot (pictured).
Moy, meanwhile, was nowhere to be found, with searches lasting more than 30 hours and covering 4,830 nautical miles to try to locate the missing man.
The former partner, who wished to remain anonymous, told : “When I found out he was working as a doctor taking payments I thought there was something in it for him.
“I joked to him that I thought he wanted to be a cancer doctor because of what happened to his mother instead of stealing money from patients, but I always knew he was a liar so I’m not surprised.
“He’s always liked boats, when we were together he had a tiny motor boat and worked in a boat shop.
“He used to steal items, usually a Garmin GPS device, and give it to friends to return to other stores for credit or a refund, and then spend the money on boating gear himself.
dr Marvin Moy (far right) is shown with friend Wallace Ryland (next to him in matching shirt) and others during a 2021 reunion at Fork Union Military Academy in Fork Union, Virginia
A former girlfriend told that Moy, a physical medicine and rehabilitation doctor, previously stole thousands from his grandmother
“I was aware of that and he told me he thought it was funny. I just didn’t know people actually do that.
“There was one summer in college where we lived together, his grandparents owned the building where the family lived and they paid for whatever he wanted.
“They paid thousands for him to go to classes to help him get into medical school, but he requested a refund after he enrolled and dropped out.
“He only got part of the money back, but he acted like he went to school every day, so his family didn’t know about it.
“I know he used the money for boating and fishing. At the time he also owed me money, he asked me to pay on credit and said he would pay me back.
“But he only returned it when I threatened to tell his grandmother, who hardly spoke English, that he was going to rob her.”
The couple split shortly after graduation but have stayed in touch over the years, with Moy telling his ex that he was “unhappy” in his marriage – adding that his family “found him someone”.
Moy is also accused of lying to other women during college, telling them he was a medical student before even enrolling on his course.
dr Marvin Moy (far left) is seen in an old photo with friends. The caption jokes, “Some guys caught fish while others… well… caught something else — with Marvin Moy MD.”
Colleagues of the doctor shared memories of him online, with one paying tribute to his “brilliant mind”.
His former partner added: “He lied to this other girl that he was already studying medicine. He thought that was funny and put on a backpack and said he was going to class.
“Marvin has been doing these things for years, so I’m not surprised by any of these allegations.
“His family was very wealthy, they paid for everything, and his grandparents had very good connections with ambassadors.
“He’s very dodgy, has always been obsessed with boating, but it’s very strange to go on a fishing trip at midnight.
“The fact that his family has access to money and he may have had access to people who could have helped him escape the boat.
“It’s something from a TV show but you don’t know exactly who he knows internationally – he could well have afforded to have someone on a boat waiting for him.
“He’s always been very smart, worked from multiple angles and had no problem lying to people, so I wasn’t shocked when I heard about his trial or his disappearance.
Moy poses with a mako shark after one of his fishing trips up the New York shore
“There’s no way of knowing, but he could easily have hidden the money to get the things you need to disappear.”
Moy was one of several doctors arrested in January for alleged involvement in two fraudulent schemes by mobsters Alexander “Little Alex” Gulkarov and Bradley Pierre.
The criminal corporations connected car crash victims to doctors like Moy who performed unnecessary medical procedures.
This would then allow the gangs to overbill insurance companies and walk away with $100 million in profits over 13 years.
Moy’s role in the fraud involved him performing “unnecessary and painful electrodiagnostic tests” on a number of car accident patients who did not undergo the procedure, according to the indictment.
The doctor was due to appear in court on October 19 – less than a week after he disappeared at sea.
At the hearing, Moy’s attorney told the judge that a Coast Guard legal representative said the doctor could not be presumed dead until the inquest into his disappearance was completed.
They said: “The representative indicated that he would keep us informed of any developments and that eventually a report would be issued and such a report would be made available to us.”
At the time of the search and rescue operation, the Coast Guard sent out a series of tweets
Moy, who divorced his wife two years ago, had been battling pancreatic cancer and was diabetic, according to friends.
A Coast Guard spokesman said: “The incident was reported just after midnight on the morning of October 13 concerning an alleged collision between Mr Moy and another person with a large vessel.
“The other person was recovered while Marvin was missing. We conducted boat and helicopter searches for over 30 hours covering 4,830 nautical miles and found only the beacon indicating the emergency position he was said to be holding when last seen.
“The search was then suspended on October 14 pending further information and the Coast Guard Long Island Sound Sector is currently conducting an investigation into the incident.
“The incident occurred approximately 25 nautical miles south of Fire Island, New York. Although active searching has been suspended, Coast Guard units will continue to monitor the area for significant sightings and additional information.’
Moy was charged with conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and money laundering, and faced a possible prison sentence of up to 30 years for his role in Pierre’s scheme.
In January, US Attorney Damian Williams described the operation as “one of the biggest insurance scams in history” and outlined the methods the conspirators used to accumulate their fortunes.
He said: “The accused defendants are said to have collectively committed one of the largest no-fault insurance frauds in history.
“In carrying out their massive plan, they allegedly bribed 911 operators, hospital workers and others to obtain confidential information about motor vehicle accident victims, among other methods.
“With that information, they then put victims at risk by subjecting them to unnecessary and often painful medical procedures in order to fraudulently overcharge insurance companies.”