- Former physician Jeffrey Campbell and nurse practitioner Mark Dyer were sentenced to prison following conviction on committing healthcare fraud, money laundering and unlawfully distributing controlled substances.
- Matteson, Ill.-based physician Ajibola Ayeni, MD, was ordered to pay more than $25 million for more than 4,000 violations of the False Claims Act.
- Gilbert Ghearing, MD, a former physician based in Crossville, Tenn., was found guilty on 45 counts related to the Controlled Substance Act, healthcare fraud and obstruction of justice.
- Michael Villarroel, MD, a U.S. Navy physician, pleaded guilty to a scheme where he defrauded the Navy by faking or exaggerating injuries to get reimbursements intended to help service members recovering from traumatic injuries.
- Margate, N.J.-based Brian Sokalsky, DO, pleaded guilty for his role in a $5 million scheme to defraud payers by submitting claims for medically unnecessary prescriptions.
- A Johnson City, Tenn.-based physician and treatment clinic must pay $100,000 to resolve allegations they violated the Opioid Addiction Recovery Fraud Prevention Act of 2018 and the FTC Act.
- Meridian, Miss.-based physician Gregory Auzenne, MD, pleaded guilty to a federal charge in connection with a $1.5 billion nationwide pain cream fraud scheme.
- Francisco Ortiz, former COO of Morgantown, W.Va.-based Wedgewood Physicians, and James Mersing, MD, were charged for allegedly stealing $650,000 from the practice.
- Justin LaMonda, MD, a physician based in Moberly, Mo., pleaded guilty to a $537,322 fraud scheme, admitting he used his father’s name to falsely bill Medicare and Medicaid.
- A jury convicted pain physician Frederick Gooding, MD, for a $5 million healthcare fraud scheme.
- Murrysville, Pa.-based emergency room physician Jessie Kunkel, MD, was charged for writing fraudulent prescriptions.
11 physician fraud suits in March
Here are 11 fraud suits involving physicians that Becker’s reported on in March:
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