After being indicted on Oct. 20, 2015 a federal court sitting in Florida found a dermatologist guilty of several crimes. The 69-year-old will be sentenced after the U.S. Probation Office’s presentence investigation is completed and reported. Along with 52 counts of illicit drug distribution and five counts of tax evasion, the doctor was also found guilty of health-care insurance fraud.
According to court documents, federal prosecutors state that the defendant managed a scheme by which a relative forged medical bills which the doctor then wrote off his taxes as medical expenses. The family member received over $2.3 million for doing this, and the dermatologist committed tax fraud of approximately $3 million between 2008 and 2013. That relative was reportedly also used in the drug distribution scheme.
For seven years between 2007 and 2014, the defendant wrote illegal prescriptions for the same family member — using her name and the names of others. The scripts were for both controlled and uncontrolled narcotics. The defendant’s health insurance company reimbursed him for some of these prescriptions. Authorities said the dermatologist could face many years behind bars and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.
The support and guidance of a lawyer who is experienced in defending charges such as insurance fraud and more are vital, particularly at the federal level in Florida. During the time leading up to sentencing, the attorney can work on a presentation of mitigating circumstances to argue before the court for a lesser sentence. Whatever the chosen strategy, the defense team will endeavor to achieve the best possible results for the prevailing circumstances.
Source: theforecaster.net, “Dermatologist guilty of tax, drug, fraud charges“, Nov. 18, 2016
