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Healthcare fraud

Worcester Doc Who Prescribed Highly Addictive Drugs 'Like Candy' Convicted: Feds Worcester Doc Who Prescribed Highly Addictive Drugs 'Like Candy' Convicted: Feds
Worcester Doc Who Prescribed Highly Addictive Drugs 'Like Candy' Convicted: Feds A Worcester psychiatrist was convicted of illegally prescribing highly addictive drugs like Xanax, Klonopin, and Adderall, federal authorities announced. One FBI agent said the doctor gave out these prescriptions "as casually as Halloween candy." Mohamad Och, age 67, was found guilty of illegally prescribing a Schedule II drug and one count of illegally prescribing a Schedule IV narcotic following an 11-day trial, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said. He potentially faces decades in jail when he is sentenced in February.  Och owned and ran Island Counseling Center…
'Cheated': Recovery Centers Across Mass Close, Operators Charged With Millions In Fraud: Feds 'Cheated': Recovery Centers Across Mass Close, Operators Charged With Millions In Fraud: Feds
'Cheated': Recovery Centers Across Mass Close, Operators Charged With Millions In Fraud: Feds Instead of fostering recovery, the operator of a chain of addiction treatment centers used his position to launder money, steal millions of dollars, and write prescriptions under doctors' names without permission, said the US attorney's office.  Michael Brier, of Newton, used his position as operator of Recovery Connections Centers of America to rake in millions of dollars from Medicare, Medicaid, and other such organizations by falsifying healthcare claims, back-dating documents, and writing prescriptions using the names of doctors without their permission, according to Unite…
Stealing From Critical Ill Patient: Pittsfield Nurse Who Took Fentanyl Going To Jail, Feds Say Stealing From Critical Ill Patient: Pittsfield Nurse Who Took Fentanyl Going To Jail, Feds Say
Stealing From Critical Ill Patient: Pittsfield Nurse Who Took Fentanyl Going To Jail, Feds Say A 37-year-old Pittsfield nurse who admitted she stole fentanyl from a critically ill patient's IV using a syringe will spend the next three months in federal prison, authorities said.  Jessica Lotto pleaded guilty in May to one count of acquiring a controlled substance by fraud, deceit, or subterfuge, the US Attorney's Office said. A judge sentenced her to three months behind bars on Friday, Feb. 17.  Investigators said Lotto was caring for a critically ill patient at Berkshire Medical Center in 2019 when she siphoned off some of the powerful painkiller. The patient was sedat…
Former MassHealth Employee Sentenced For Racking Up $112K In Fake Services: AG Former MassHealth Employee Sentenced For Racking Up $112K In Fake Services: AG
Former MassHealth Employee Sentenced For Racking Up $112K In Fake Services: AG A 28-year-old man from Lowell was sentenced to two years in jail for cheating MassHealth out of more than $100,000 as an employee, Attorney General Maura Healy announced on Thursday, Sept. 22.  Investigators determined that Abdinafa Maow, who worked as a Personal Care Attendant for MassHealth, got paid for services that he never performed between 2015 and 2020, Healy said. He along with his relative, Abdikadir Maow, were previously indicted on one count of false Medicaid claims and larceny over $1,200.  Overall, the duo received more than $112,000 for these fa…
CT Doctor Admits To Getting Kickbacks In Exchange For Ordering Unnecessary Procedures CT Doctor Admits To Getting Kickbacks In Exchange For Ordering Unnecessary Procedures
CT Doctor Admits To Getting Kickbacks In Exchange For Ordering Unnecessary Procedures A Connecticut eye doctor was paid handsomely from a five-year fraudulent medical billing scheme that netted millions of dollars. Hartford County resident Donald Salzberg, age 67, of Avon, pleaded guilty Thursday, July 14, to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to receive kickbacks in federal court in Boston. Prosecutors said that between 2014 and 2019 Salzberg, who owned and operated an ophthalmology practice in West Hartford, conspired with a principal for a medical diagnostics company to order hundreds of unnecessary brain scans. Salzburg and h…
Western Mass Nurse Admits To Stealing Fentanyl From Critical Care Patient Western Mass Nurse Admits To Stealing Fentanyl From Critical Care Patient
Western Mass Nurse Admits To Stealing Fentanyl From Critical Care Patient A Western Massachusetts nurse has admitted to stealing fentanyl that was being administered to a patient in a hospital's critical care unit. Berkshire County resident Jessica Lotto, age 36, of Pittsfield, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, May 31, to one count of acquiring a controlled substance by fraud, deceit, or subterfuge, according to an announcement from Rachael Rollins, United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts. She was charged in November of 2021, Rollins said.  According to the announcement, while working at Berkshire Medical Center in February of 2019, Lott…
CT Native Convicted Of Killing His Wife, Three Children, Family Dog CT Native Convicted Of Killing His Wife, Three Children, Family Dog
CT Native Convicted Of Killing His Wife, Three Children, Family Dog A physical therapist from Connecticut has been convicted of killing his wife, three children, and the family dog by a jury. Anthony Todt, a New London County native who grew up in Colchester, was found guilty on Thursday, April 14 in Kissimmee, Florida, located just minutes from Disney World.  Todt, age 46, reportedly commuted between Florida to Connecticut to his Colchester business, Family Physical Therapy. The former physical therapist was arrested in 2020 for drugging and stabbing to death his wife Megan, age 42, along with their children, Alek, age 13, Tyler, age 11, and Zoe…
Dental Office Manager In Region Admits To Role In Medicare Fraud Scheme Dental Office Manager In Region Admits To Role In Medicare Fraud Scheme
Dental Office Manager In Region Admits To Role In Medicare Fraud Scheme A Massachusetts woman has pleaded guilty to her participation in a scheme to defraud the Massachusetts Medicaid program commonly known as MassHealth. Robin Cronin, age 58, of Worcester, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of health care fraud, according to the US Attorney's Office. In January 2020, Cronin was indicted along with Dr. Anthony DiStefano and Dr. Scott Cale, dentists practicing in Worcester, for their roles in the Medicare fraud scheme. According to the indictment, from 2014 to 2018, the dental services that DiStefano personally d…