Detroit-Area Physician Sentenced To 60 Months For Health Care Fraud
Jonathan Agbebiyi, 63, of Sterling Heights, Michigan, was sentenced on November 5, 2012, for his role in a $5.4 million Medicare fraud scheme, announced United States Attorney Barbara L. McQuade.
Agbebiyi was sentenced by United States District Judge Arthur J. Tarnow to 60 months in prison, followed by 2 years supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,982,029.19 in restitution.
In May, 2012, Jonathan Agbebiyi was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, and six counts of health care fraud. Agbebiyi was a staff physician at three clinics which operated in Livonia, Michigan, between 2007 and 2010: Blessed Medical Clinic, Alpha and Omega Medical Clinic, and Manuel Medical Clinic.
According to the evidence presented during the one week trial, Jonathan Agbebiyi, an obstetrician/gynecologist, joined a conspiracy to bill Medicare for medically unnecessary neurological tests. Some of the tests involved sending an electrical current through the arms and legs of the patients. Clinic employees, who lacked any meaningful training, administered the diagnostic tests. The patients never received any follow up treatment by neurologists.
Evidence at trial showed that the patients were not referred to the clinics by their primary care physicians, or for any other legitimate purpose, but rather were recruited with prescriptions for controlled substances, cash payments, and fast food. The three clinics then billed the Medicare program for various diagnostic tests that were medically unnecessary.
United States Attorney Barbara L. McQuade stated, "This doctor exposed patients to electrical currents for neurological testing solely to generate money for himself at the expense of the Medicare program. We hope that cases like this one will deter other doctors from using patients as commodities for personal gain."
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frances Lee Carlson and Philip A. Ross of the Eastern District of Michigan, with assistance from Assistant Chief Gejaa T. Gobena of the Criminal Division's Fraud Section. The case was investigated by the FBI and HHS-OIG, and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, supervised by the Criminal Division's Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.
Source: DOJ
Agbebiyi was sentenced by United States District Judge Arthur J. Tarnow to 60 months in prison, followed by 2 years supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,982,029.19 in restitution.
In May, 2012, Jonathan Agbebiyi was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, and six counts of health care fraud. Agbebiyi was a staff physician at three clinics which operated in Livonia, Michigan, between 2007 and 2010: Blessed Medical Clinic, Alpha and Omega Medical Clinic, and Manuel Medical Clinic.
According to the evidence presented during the one week trial, Jonathan Agbebiyi, an obstetrician/gynecologist, joined a conspiracy to bill Medicare for medically unnecessary neurological tests. Some of the tests involved sending an electrical current through the arms and legs of the patients. Clinic employees, who lacked any meaningful training, administered the diagnostic tests. The patients never received any follow up treatment by neurologists.
Evidence at trial showed that the patients were not referred to the clinics by their primary care physicians, or for any other legitimate purpose, but rather were recruited with prescriptions for controlled substances, cash payments, and fast food. The three clinics then billed the Medicare program for various diagnostic tests that were medically unnecessary.
United States Attorney Barbara L. McQuade stated, "This doctor exposed patients to electrical currents for neurological testing solely to generate money for himself at the expense of the Medicare program. We hope that cases like this one will deter other doctors from using patients as commodities for personal gain."
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frances Lee Carlson and Philip A. Ross of the Eastern District of Michigan, with assistance from Assistant Chief Gejaa T. Gobena of the Criminal Division's Fraud Section. The case was investigated by the FBI and HHS-OIG, and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, supervised by the Criminal Division's Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.
Source: DOJ