Two doctors are facing criminal charges in Los Angeles after authorities accuse them of a $5 million fraud scam involving mentally ill homeless patients, the Washington Post reported.
The Medicare and Medi-Cal fraud case is the latest in a long string of cases against doctors, home-health care businesses, clinics and others in the medical profession. These cases are frequently complex and can be devastating to the reputation of legitimate doctors and health care workers. Consulting an attorney at the earliest stage of a case -- even before charges are filed, is frequently your best course of action. The fact that the charges were filed as misdemeanors by city prosecutors likely means that state and federal authorities decline to pursue more serious charges. Whether the charges lack merit, we cannot say. But they still carry the possibility of substantial jail time. And the loss of professional reputation is often irreplaceable.
The doctors, ages 58 and 72, were charged along with five others of misdemeanor conspiracy, fraud and taking illegal kickbacks. Each faces up to 7 years in prison if convicted.
City prosecutors allege homeless people were recruited from throughout Los Angeles County. Each patient was given $100 to permit ultrasounds to be conducted and to allow blood to be drawn. The clinic then allegedly charged medical programs up to $1,000 per doctor for between 30 and 50 patients a day from December 2009 until June.
It is the latest patient-recruiting scam to be alleged in Los Angeles. Earlier this month, federal prosecutors charged more than 70 defendants with a scam they say defrauded Medicare of $163 million.
Earlier this year, a doctor was sentenced to 25 years in prison after being convicted of paying homeless people to fill prescriptions in exchange for cash.
If you are facing fraud charges in Los Angeles or need to speak to an experienced federal criminal defense attorney, contact Stepehen G. Rodriguez & Associates for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your rights.
