Doctor Convicted for Healthcare Fraud and Unlawful Distribution of Drugs
TL/DR –
A Pennsylvania-based medical doctor, Neil K. Anand, was convicted for his involvement in health care and wire fraud conspiracies and unlawful distribution of controlled substances. He reportedly falsified claims to Medicare, health plans, and insurance companies for medically unnecessary prescription medications, causing them to pay over $2.3 million. He also improperly had medical interns write prescriptions and prescribed over 20,000 oxycodone tablets without a legitimate medical purpose.
A Medical Doctor Convicted for Committing Health Care Fraud and Unlawfully Distributing Controlled Substances
Neil K. Anand M.D., 48, from Bensalem, Pennsylvania, was found guilty by a federal jury of his involvement in health care fraud, wire fraud, and illegal distribution of controlled substances. As per the presented court documents and evidence, Anand had orchestrated a scheme to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare, OPM, IBC, and Anthem for unnecessary prescription medications known as “Goody Bags.”
The evidence revealed that these Goody Bags were dispensed to patients via Anand-owned pharmacies and were a prerequisite for patients to receive controlled substance prescriptions. The total claims paid by Medicare, OPM, IBC, and Anthem exceeded $2.3 million.
Anand also conspired to unethically distribute oxycodone. In this conspiracy, Anand had unlicensed medical interns write prescriptions for controlled substances on pre-signed prescription pads. He prescribed 20,850 oxycodone tablets for nine different patients as part of the scheme. Furthermore, Anand tried to hide the fraud proceeds by transferring approximately $1.2 million into an account under his father’s name, benefiting his minor daughter.
For his crimes, Anand was convicted of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud; three instances of health care fraud; one count of money laundering; four counts of illegal monetary transactions; and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. He is set to be sentenced on Aug. 19 and potentially faces up to 130 years in prison. A federal judge will determine the final sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was announced by Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon of the HHS-OIG; Special Agent in Charge Kathleen Woodson of the U.S. Postal Service OIG; and Derek Holt, Special Agent in Charge of Investigative Operations at the OPM-OIG. Investigating the case were the HHS-OIG, U.S. Postal Service OIG, and OPM OIG, with the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office providing valuable assistance.
The Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, led by Trial Attorneys Paul J. Koob, Patrick J. Campbell, and Arun Bodapati, is handling the prosecution. The Fraud Section leads the effort against health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since its inception in 2007, the program has charged over 5,800 defendants who have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. For more information, visit the Health Care Fraud Unit website.
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