Boxing Commision Lauds Efforts Mohegan Sun In Alleged Medical Fraud Case

The Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) highly commended the “astute efforts” of the Mohegan Department of Athletic Regulation, its Director and its Chief Ringside Physician in thwarting the “egregious efforts” of two boxers to obtain a boxing license and participate in bouts at the Mohegan Sun based upon fraudulent medical records.

In announcing such praise, Tim Lueckenhoff, the President of the ABC, related the following facts: David Quijano and Alex DeJesus, boxers based in Puerto Rico, each with a previously issued Federal identification card (as required by U.S. law), were scheduled to fight different opponents on a fight card, promoted by Top Rank, at the Mohegan Sun on July 21, 2006.

In seeking a boxing license from the Mohegan Department of Athletic Regulation in order to participate in these bouts, both Quijano and DeJesus, either directly or through a representative, submitted required medical records, via facsimile, to the Mohegan Department of Athletic Regulation including a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) report.

Upon the receipt of the respective MRI’s, Michael Mazzulli, the Director of the Mohegan Department of Athletic Regulation, perceiving impropriety, forwarded the MRI’s to the Mohegan’s Chief Ringside Physician, Dr. Michael Schwartz (who also is the President of the American Association of Professional Ringside Physicians – an organization which is an associate member of the ABC) for review.

Upon such review, Dr. Schwartz observed an oddity: that the two MRIs depicted precisely the same neurological conclusions. Per the suggestion of Mr. Mazzulli, Dr. Schwartz contacted the physician whose signature appeared on both MRI reports; and the physician confirmed that he had never administered an MRI test to either Quijano or DeJesus.

Subsequently, Mr. Mazzulli and Dr. Schwartz discovered that each of the MRI reports, in reality, was a falsified reproduction of an MRI report regarding another boxer, from the same gym in Puerto Rico where Quijano and DeJesus train, issued in January, 2006.

Upon discovering that the MRI’s were fraudulent, Mr. Mazzulli contacted the manager of both boxers, Peter Rivera, and informed him that neither boxer would be licensed by the Mohegan Department of Athletic Regulation; that neither boxer would be allowed to participate in the bouts scheduled for July 21st; and that further investigation would be conducted with the full cooperation of the Puerto Rico Sports and Recreation Commission (also a member of the ABC).

Thus far, in addition to denying both David Quijano and Alex DeJesus a boxing license and barring their participation in the boxing show at the Mohegan Sun on July 21st, the Mohegan Department of Athletic Regulation has imposed a $5000.00 fine on each boxer; and these actions, as well as the basis for these actions, have been reported to FightFax, a boxing registry certified by the ABC, for placement on the boxing records of each boxer.

“The actions of the Mohegan Department of Athletic Regulation are exemplary and, together with the efforts of others, are demonstrative of the need for cooperative efforts among boxing regulators throughout North America and its territories in order to effectively regulate professional boxing,” Mr. Lueckenhoff said.